Bankart Repair in Kansas City

Bankart Repair


Long term solutions for shoulder instability.

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Understanding the Basics Behind Bankart Repair


What is Bankart Repair?

The shoulder is made up of many working parts, and when one part is damaged it can threaten others.

A Bankart tear is the result of an initial shoulder dislocation damaging the anterior glenoid labrum of the shoulder joint. This can cause pain and instability, even after the shoulder has been reduced or placed back into a normal position.

Our highly-trained orthopedic shoulder physicians at Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance have the experience needed to solve a variety of shoulder issues for our patients, including Bankart tears and other injuries to the labrum.

After your initial examination with a KCOA physician, we will recommend the best treatment for your needs. Our practitioners provide the comprehensive care you need so you can return to the activities you enjoy.

Choosing Bankart repair in Kansas City is a decision that typically involves guidance from your primary care doctor and orthopedic physician.

When you choose Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance, one of our highly-trained orthopedic shoulder specialists will conduct an initial evaluation to better understand your condition. After a complete review of your results, your provider will then discuss the best treatment option for your specific shoulder condition.

Your First Appointment

When a patient visits one of our KCOA offices, a skilled orthopedic specialist will ask you questions regarding your symptoms, what aggravates/alleviates your symptoms, and whether you have attempted prior therapies.

Next comes a thorough physical exam. We will then review any images you bring with you and/or take new images. After determining the cause of your pain, we can then discuss which treatment option will work best for your needs.

Common signs that a person may need a bankart repair include:

  • Reduced movement or pain when moving your shoulder
  • Shoulder or upper arm weakness
  • Numb or tingling sensations in your arms
  • Burning sensation in your shoulder or arms
  • Completely immobile or “locked” joint

 

Bankart injuries specifically cause a sense of instability in the shoulder. After a shoulder dislocation, your labrum can tear or stretch the front of the glenoid. This creates room for the humeral head to slip forward in the socket, leading to a sense of shoulder instability.

Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance Shoulder Injuries Assessment


Assessing the Injury

Finding the right shoulder treatment in Kansas City starts with an assessment.

You can think of shoulder pain as a spectrum, with some instances being more severe than others. The KCOA orthopedic specialists always focus on each individual patient and their concerns before creating a treatment plan.

Therefore, during your initial appointment, we will often ask questions such as:

  • Does your pain currently limit you or your activities?
  • Has your pain progressed or worsened recently?
  • Have you experienced any locking in your shoulder or an inability to rotate your arm?
  • Have you noticed any change in your symptoms that has made it more challenging to function?
  • What are your lifestyle goals?
  • How has pain affected those goals?

 

From there, we can decide which treatment option aligns best with your needs and lifestyle goals. After a proper assessment, we often begin with a physical examination to help determine the origin point of your pain. In some cases, advanced testing may be required for a full diagnosis.

Examination

X-Ray

Also called radiographs, an X-ray captures a picture of the shoulder. Orthopedic physicians may order an X-ray to rule out the possibility of a fracture (broken bone), osteoarthritis, or other shoulder-related conditions.

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)

MRI captures images of muscles, bones, intervertebral discs, and tendons to help provide information other tests can’t detail. During an MRI, you will lie on a table that slides into a tube-shaped scanner. The machine creates a magnetic field around you, using pulsed radio waves to form the MRI images.

 

 

Arthrogram

Our providers can utilize an arthrogram test to properly diagnose issues with the shoulder joint, including ligament, tendon, and cartilage issues. Our staff will utilize a special dye, which is injected into the joint, to see any potential issues with clear detail.  

Employees with sports medicine jobs in Kansas City
KCOA doctor pointing to a shoulder model.

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Establishing a Care Plan

Based on the results of your interview, examination, and imaging studies, you can expect a custom care plan catered specifically to you. 

Many people believe it’s best to wait until pain becomes severe, leading them to “put off” or delay treatments.

If you are in constant discomfort, have shooting or stabbing pains, have limited range of motion, or an inability to perform your daily activities, Bankart repair may be right for you.

New technologies allow patients with shoulder pain to fully recover and enjoy the benefits of a more functional, pain-free lifestyle.

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Pre-Op

Prior to surgery, you will typically receive at least 2 phone calls:

  • A hospital registration representative will call to gather insurance and other personal information.
  • A registered nurse will call to review your health history and medication information.

 

Dependent on your health history, your physician may require:

  • Pre-surgical laboratory tests
  • X-rays
  • Primary care clearance

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Pre-Op

Pre-operative instructions will vary depending on your physician and the location of your surgery.

Always check with your physician prior to surgery.

Most physicians require patients to not eat or drink after midnight prior to surgery the next day.

Additionally, you will need a designated family member or friend to drive you home on the day you are released from the hospital. Surgical patients cannot drive themselves home.

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Day of Surgery

If you schedule your surgery with a KCOA physician, you can expect the following on surgery day: 

  • A receptionist will check you in at the hospital registration desk.
  • A nurse will take you back and prepare you for surgery. They will start an IV, prepare the surgical site, and review your medical history and medications.
  • Your surgeon and anesthesiologist will visit with you prior to your operation.
  • The surgical team will take you to the operation suite for surgery.

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How it Works

A Bankart lesion is typically performed arthroscopically. Arthroscopy is a minimally invasive procedure that allows the surgeon to see inside the joint. A small tube with a camera is inserted through a minor incision, allowing the surgeon to make a more definitive diagnosis, and eliminating the need for a large surgical incision.

During your shoulder arthroscopy for bankart repair in Kansas City, you will remain under general anesthesia. After creating a small incision, the surgeon inserts a tiny camera (arthroscope) into the shoulder joint, giving them a clear guide for the surgical instruments.

Saline-based fluid flows through the arthroscope to keep the image clear and bleeding minimal. This is quite different from an open surgery, which requires a much larger incision and longer recovery times.

After assessing the injury and condition, your surgeon will begin the repair. Shoulder arthroscopy gives access to many repair options, like repairing the rotator cuff and labrum, smoothing the surrounding cartilage, removing inflamed tissue, and reshaping joints to prevent recurring injuries.

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Post-Op

After your surgery, you will remain in the recovery room before being discharged. Our experienced clinical team will monitor you during this recovery and provide pain relief medication, if needed.

Arthroscopy isn’t as invasive as normal surgeries, but it may still take from a few weeks to a few months for your shoulder joint to fully recover.

Because of its proximity to the head and neck and the concentration of nerve endings, shoulder surgeries can cause quite a bit of discomfort. Therefore, after surgery, the shoulder is typically more sore, achy, and painful compared to other joints.

This is expected. Keep in mind, this joint is more complicated than the knee, which is why recovery usually takes longer. Most people are in a sling for at least a month, but for more severe cases, it may extend to 2 months.

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What to Expect

As time passes, you will gradually notice an improvement for up to a year.

To prevent further injuries, it’s important to maintain good posture and ensure that your shoulder is in good position relative to your scapula.

You should also focus on core strength, and promote healthy mobility of the thoracic spine. We recommend regular exercise, eating a balanced diet, maintaining a healthy weight, and monitoring your blood sugar levels if you’re diabetic.

In doing so, you may reduce the amount of stress on your joints to slow down any potential degenerative process.

Our Process

Causes

Causes of Shoulder Pain

The body has different kinds of joints, and they all face different challenges. The shoulder is a “ball-in-socket” joint, meaning it’s composed of a ball-like structure that moves inside a depression in the bone to allow for rotational movements. The ball-shaped head of your humerus (upper arm bone) that fits into the glenoid cavity in the scapula (shoulder blade) creates the shoulder joint.

In most instances, pain in your shoulder doesn’t come from these bones unless a fracture is present. Pain generators in the shoulder include disruptions to muscles, ligaments, cartilage, and tendons that surround and support this joint.

Treatment Alternatives

Non-Surgical Treatment

Surgery, even minimally invasive surgery like bankart repair, isn’t necessarily the first choice for treatment. Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance physicians prefer a more conservative approach to treatment, so we will typically exhaust all non-surgical options before recommending surgery. Non-surgical treatments for shoulder injuries include:

  • Physical Therapy – Strengthening and stabilizing exercises can also be expected during PT with a damaged bankart. Because each patient and each injury is unique a customized plan will be constructed by your physician and the treating therapist.

  • Medications – Your doctor may recommend over-the-counter NSAIDs (Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Advil) or prescription medications. Especially with NSAIDs, you should always talk to your doctor to ensure they are the right treatment for you.

  • Injections – Cortisone injections can help reduce inflammation in the shoulder and can even provide additional insight into the cause of your shoulder pain. The amount of relief from an injection varies by patient, but often in combination with physical therapy, patients can experience significant improvements in their function.

  • Regenerative Medicines – Regenerative medicines like stem cell injections or platelet-rich plasma can help nourish worn or damaged tissue. This option works best if you have mild-to-moderate shoulder pain.

Kansas City Orthopedic Alliance is here to help.

Our care is personal. Our team is knowledgeable. And we’re more available than ever.

With access to board-certified specialists across Kansas City, we have the tools to meet almost every musculoskeletal condition.

Use our Symptom Tracker Tool to connect with the right KCOA physician for your unique needs—and get back to the things that matter most.

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Testimonials

I left a very happy patient.

…I arrived a little bit late. I got checked in quickly and was back in a room within 10 minutes. Dr Rhodes was very friendly and took the time to pull up pictures of my surgery and show them and explain them to me. I left a very happy patient.

Michael Bachmann

Very caring

Shannon is very caring and encouraging. She listens to my questions and explains what to expect going forward very thoroughly. Hopefully I don’t need my other shoulder replaced, but if I did I would come back to Shannon and Dr. Van Den Berghe.

Becky Edson

Awesome

Awesome ortho visit 😀😀😀 Thank you so much for listening to my concerns and coming up with a positive plan to help me deal with my pain
Alisha Hayes

An incredibly efficient office.

An incredibly efficient office. Physician was attentive, knowledgeable, clear and supportive. It was a great experience.

Alan Londy

Professional

The first thing that I noticed was the traffic flow. This may sound strange but people were being seen and sent out on their way. There was not a huge roomful of frustrated, tired patients. If most (I assume) had uncomfortable and or painful maladies, they didn’t have to wait forever for attention. That was how it was for me. Professional and personable patient care.

Jillian Merrill