quote:The problem with labrums is that even with an MRI you can never really be sure without surgery, but you don't want to have the surgery (which is pretty intrusive itself) unless you're pretty sure it's needed. Some minor labrum tears can be bolstered with a conditioning regimen, others go so far that surgery is needed. Some inflammation signatures that look like labrum tears on an MRI are really just inflammation and not tears at all. You really need to see not just any orthopaedist, but one who has a depth of experience with throwing injuries. Interpreting an MRI is more of an art than a science.
I agree with much of what you're saying here Midlo.
quote:FWIW the symptoms you describe sound more like severe tendinitis to me than a labrum issue. But I'm not a doctor, either. It's time to see the right people to assure that your son is doing the right things for himself and to give yourself a chance to get on a corrective course so that you can AVOID surgery if possible.
The problem with labrums you mentioned once with not being able to truly know without going in. Another problem with labrums
is that labral tears and tendinitis of both the rotator cuff muscles (infraspinatus, supraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis) and also the long head of the biceps tendon. They all run through that small area so it's hard to differeniate sometimes.
quote:What I would guess happened is that your ortho put your son through some range of motion diagnostics and he heard some "crunching" or similar noise that can accompany a labrum tear. The key there is that while it is indicative of a tear it is not definitive and you may merely be dealing with an impingement or even just severe inflammation from laxity in the capsule, tendinitis or some combination.
"Crunching" would be what we call crepitus. That would be inflammation. I would hope a physician is not assessing this injury without subjectively/objectively ruling out a labral tear. There are several special tests that can be performed to better assess a labrum injury. They would be looking for catching and grinding rather than "crunching" really.
Obviously we cannot diagnose an injury over the internet. I would agree with Midlo to stop throwing now and get checked out.
Also, to answer your title question: The difference is simply the fibers that are torn. A partial tear is only some of the fibers while a full tear is the entire thing.