What is a Bankart Injury?
A Bankart shoulder injury occur due to anterior shoulder dis-allocation. It is a special type of injury to a part of the shoulder joint called the labrum. The shoulder joint is a socket and ball joint, similar to the hip; the socket of the shoulder joint is quite shallow, and thus naturally unstable.
To take care of the shallow socket, the shoulder joint has a bit of cartilage called labrum that forms a wide socket for the ball off the top of the arm humerus (Bone) to move within.
This belt of cartilage makes the shoulder joint much more stable, however, allows for a wide range of movements.
What are the symptoms of Bankart Injury?
The stability of the shoulder joint may be compromised when the labrum of the shoulder joint is torn.
The tear is a part of labrum called the inferior glen humeral ligament. A Bankart injury occurs when the inferior glen humeral ligament is torn.
Here are the typical symptoms of a Bankart Injury:
- Repeat dislocations
- A sense of instability
- Aching of the shoulder
- Catching sensations
How to diagnosis a Bankart Tear?
Most patients who suffer a shoulder dislocation will suffer a Bankart Injury; therefore there is a high chance of this injury whenever a young patient dislocates their shoulder. Its diagnosis is made by combination of physical exam and MRI of the shoulder.
Here are some common diagnostic methods for Bankart Tear given below:
- X-Rays: X-Rays are sometimes common, but they may display an injury to the bone called a Hill-Sachs lesion. This is a cleft of bone that is injured when the shoulder dislocation occurred.
- MRI: it can be used to specify the associated medial displacements of the inferior glen humeral ligament underneath the glenoid.
- Arthroscopy: A soft tissue Bankart injury can also be diagnosed by arthroscopy.