Editorial Commentary: The Shoulder Biceps Tendon and Baseball Continue Their Controversial Relationship

Abstract

The optimal treatment of shoulder SLAP tears in high-level baseball players remains highly controversial. In pitchers, many SLAP lesions are found incidentally on magnetic resonance imaging and may in fact be adaptive to the baseball pitcher's mechanics of throwing. Surgical repair of SLAP lesions requires lengthy rehabilitation, and outcomes have been similar to or worse than the results after nonoperative treatment. The treatment option of biceps tenodesis is an appealing alternative to SLAP repair, but the indications and technique of biceps tenodesis in the elite pitcher still need to be defined.