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Labral tear Repair Gets Patient Back on the Golf Course

Sloan Brooks leads an active lifestyle and is an avid hiker and golfer. Originally from Austin, Texas, he and his wife have been Arizona for one-and-a-half years. They have two grown children. Sloan works as president of Road Machinery, a Komatsu heavy equipment dealership.

After suffering from a motorcycle accident in 2009, which he believes was the start of his injury, he began experiencing shoulder pain, which became constant.

Sloan was referred to Brian Gruber, MD, MBA, board certified orthopedic surgeon, by his wife’s OB/GYN, who highly recommended him. After examination and MRI testing, Dr. Gruber diagnosed Sloan with a significant labral tear in his left shoulder.

“Since eight weeks of rehab hadn’t really helped me make progress, Dr. Gruber recommended a biceps tenodesis procedure,” said Sloan. He had the procedure in March of 2017. During the surgery, Dr. Gruber also uncovered significant cartilage loss in his shoulder area.

Sloan’s goal from the beginning was to be pain-free so he could return to the activities he enjoyed – especially golf! He wanted to recover quickly and get back out on the course.

“I was eager to recover, but followed the directions from Dr. Gruber and his team very carefully,” said Sloan. “I still go to physical therapy a few times a month to keep on track and feeling great.”

“I found Dr. Gruber to be very genuine, a good listener and I never felt rushed by him in any of our interactions,” said Sloan. “He’s caring, honest and great surgeon based on my experience and outcome.”

Sloan added that his experience with Dr. Gruber extended to the entire Integrated Orthopedics’ team, who he found to be friendly, compassionate and efficient.

Benefitting from Integrated Orthopedics’ “Integrated” Model

Sloan had his surgery with Dr. Gruber as well as his physical therapy at the Integrated Orthopedics’ physical therapy program, which is conveniently located on the same floor as the clinic.

“I thought the name “integrated” was a perfect word play on the care I received,” Sloan shared. “The clinic, surgery center and physical therapy program were all in tune with my condition, progress and desired outcomes. I knew at every step that Dr. Gruber was being informed on a weekly basis and that my care was truly integrated.”

What is a Labrum Tear?

The labrum is a piece of fibrocartilage (rubbery tissue) attached to the rim of the shoulder socket that helps keep the ball of the joint in place. When this cartilage is torn, it is called a labral tear. Labral tears may result from injury, or sometimes as part of the aging process.

What is a Biceps Tenodesis?

Biceps tenodesis describes the surgical procedure that is usually performed for the treatment of biceps tendonitis of the shoulder. The biceps tendon passes through the shoulder joint and attaches to the labrum. When this attachment is torn, it is a so-called SLAP tear of the shoulder.

 

 

 

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