What is a Bankart Lesion?

Bankart Lesion

A Bankart lesion is a severe shoulder injury that often accompanies a dislocation of this same joint. The shoulder offers a wide range of motion; however, this also means that people can dislocate this joint relatively easily. The shoulder can be dislocated in the anterior, posterior, or inferior direction. All of these require different mechanisms of action to cause a dislocation.

Perhaps the most common direction of a shoulder dislocation is the anterior direction. When someone suffers an anterior shoulder dislocation, the head of the humerus pops out in the forward direction. If this dislocation is diagnosed, a Bankart lesion (also called a Bankart fracture) is a common complication. This added complication can make it hard for someone to recover fully.

How Does a Bankart Lesion Happen?

A Bankart lesion is a direct injury involving the labrum and the glenoid. It is the job of these structures to protect the shoulder socket and the head of the humerus. Of note, individuals who suffer repeated dislocations of their shoulder are prone to developing more severe Bankart lesions. These injuries can be accompanied by fractures and soft tissue damage.

In a Bankart lesion, a portion of the labrum has become detached from the glenoid itself. The more severe the injury is, the larger the tear of the labrum. In major injuries, the tear of the labrum extends around the entirety of the shoulder and back.

Severe Bankart lesions can also be accompanied by a bone fracture. There might be a fracture of the glenoid bone, which is the hard surface against where the head of the humerus rests. If an associated fracture of the glenoid is present, this makes the injury far more severe.

How is this Injury Diagnosed?

If someone presents to the doctor with arm pain, one of the first steps is a physical exam. The doctor is going to test the range of motion of the arm. The individual will be asked to lift his or her arm out, up, and to the side. This will help the doctor identify exactly where the injury is located.

Someone who has a Bankart lesion will be unable to do this without significant pain or weakness. This will probably lead to an x-ray. The doctor might see a fracture of the glenoid; however, labral tears will be challenging to identify. To identify the labral tear, the doctor will need to order an MRI scan.

On an MRI, the doctor should be able to see a separation of the labrum from the glenoid. In severe injuries, the labrum might actually be absent. Once the tear of the labrum has been diagnosed, the injury is confirmed. The next step is to discuss the treatment process.

How is a Bankart Lesion Treated?

In general, there are two separate options for the treatment of a Bankart lesion. If the injury was caught early and the labrum is only partially torn, many individuals will enroll in physical therapy. This is done to strengthen the shoulder joint and remove stress from the labrum. Over time, the labrum should gradually heal, and individuals will make a full recovery.

If the injury is in the later stages, treatment with physical therapy alone might not be possible. In this case, surgery is required. In this procedure, the fragments of the labrum are reattached to the rim of the glenoid with surgical sutures. Following this procedure, physical therapy will be needed to complete the recovery process. While most individuals will make a full recovery, there is a possibility that some individuals might have a long-term restriction of their shoulder’s range of motion. This is more common if other associated injuries are present.

Watch YouTube Video: Lesions of the Shoulder Bankart Lesion. The following video provides an overview of everything you need to know about Bankart lesion.

Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer

I’m Ed Smith, a Sacramento Personal Injury Lawyer. A Bankart lesion is a serious shoulder injury that might require physical therapy or even surgery. If someone you know has sustained a major shoulder injury due in an accident, please call me today by dialing (916) 921-6400 or (800) 404-5400 for free, friendly legal advice.