# Approach to diagnosing and treating tears of the latissimus dorsi and teres major

**Authors:** Kevin M. Lehane, Taylor Faust, Anthony A. Romeo, Brandon J. Erickson

PMC · DOI: 10.1016/j.xrrt.2025.05.015 · 2025-06-07

## TL;DR

This paper reviews the diagnosis and treatment of rare muscle tears in the latissimus dorsi and teres major, common in overhead athletes.

## Contribution

The paper provides a comprehensive overview of rare injuries, offering insights into diagnosis and treatment strategies.

## Key findings

- These injuries are rare and often missed during initial evaluations.
- The paper discusses surgical and nonoperative approaches for treatment.
- It emphasizes the need for better understanding to improve outcomes.

## Abstract

Latissimus dorsi and teres major tears are rare injuries encountered by orthopedic surgeons, most commonly seen in overhead throwing athletes. Due to their rarity and variable clinical presentations, these injuries can be challenging to diagnose and are often missed during initial evaluation. Enhancing the understanding of latissimus dorsi and teres major injuries is essential for developing optimal diagnostic and treatment strategies. This review offers a comprehensive overview of these uncommon injuries, including their indications, surgical and nonoperative approaches, and associated outcomes.

## Full-text entities

- **Diseases:** Latissimus dorsi and teres major tears (MESH:D004830), injuries (MESH:D014947)

## Figures

7 figures with captions in the complete paper: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12573627/full.md

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Source: https://tomesphere.com/paper/PMC12573627