How is a Bankart lesion diagnosed?
Most young patients (under 30) who sustain a shoulder dislocation will also sustain a Bankart lesion. On examination, patients will often have a sense their shoulder is about to dislocate if their arm is placed behind their head. Dr. McFadden will have the patient x-rayed, which may be normal or may show an injury to the bone called a Hill-Sachs lesion. A Hill-Sachs lesion is a divot of bone that was injured at the time of the dislocation. Dr. McFadden may also order an MRI if he suspects a Bankart lesion. Bankart lesions do not always show up well on MRI scans so he may order an MRI with injection of a contrast fluid to increase the likelihood of seeing the Bankart lesion. What is the treatment for a Bankart lesion? There are two general options for treatment of a Bankart lesion. One option is to rest the arm and use a sling. Dr. McFadden would usually follow this with physical therapy to regain motion of the arm. The other option is to have shoulder arthroscopy to repair the torn lab
