Trends in the Management of Isolated SLAP Tears in the United States

BACKGROUND: The management of superior labrum anterior and posterior (SLAP) tears remains controversial, with surgical treatment options including SLAP repair, debridement, and open or arthroscopic biceps tenodesis (BT), based on patient factors and the type of tear. HYPOTHESIS: We hypothesized that SLAP repair has become less frequently performed over time, while BT is more frequently performed, particularly in patients ≥ 40 years. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive epidemiology study. METHODS: A retrospective query was performed using the Humana insurance database from years 2007 to 2016. For the management of a SLAP tear diagnosis (International Classification of Diseases-Ninth Edition [ICD-9] code: 840.7), independent and exclusive cohorts were formed using Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes for debridement (29822, 29823), SLAP repair (29807), open or arthroscopic BT (29828, 23430), and SLAP repair combined with BT (29828 OR 23430 AND 29807). CONCLUSION: An analysis of a large private-payer database revealed that surgical treatment of isolated SLAP tears in the United States has shifted from 2007 to 2016, with an increase in the frequency of BT and a decline in the frequency of SLAP repair, particularly in patients older than 40 years.