recovery timeline · last reviewed 2026-06-08
Shoulder labral repair recovery timeline, week by week.
Clinical procedure: Shoulder labral / Bankart repair.
Typical, evidence-anchored estimate only. It is not medical advice, not a prediction for your body, and not a substitute for your surgeon or clinician.
Arthroscopic Bankart and labral repairs sit in a slightly thinner part of the evidence base than the larger shoulder operations. The acute pain trajectory is well-measured by the PMC7879172 RCT, which followed VAS pain for the first week after surgery. After week one, however, the measured pain data effectively disappears — most subsequent studies report p-values for comparative interventions rather than absolute pain levels. So the pain numbers from week six onwards on this page are interpolated, and the confidence level on the page is intentionally cautious.
What is well-known about this recovery is the mechanical structure: a sling for about five weeks (the protocol-pooled mean across 30 published Bankart protocols is 4.8 weeks); a no-forced-external-rotation restriction for roughly three months; full active range of motion back by about twelve weeks; return to contact or overhead sport at roughly five to seven months. The PMC10532194 cohort gave the clearest return-to-work numbers, particularly for office workers (median 2.5 weeks) and physical jobs (median 12 weeks).
what shapes recovery here
Two variables matter most. The first is whether the repair was for primary instability or revision — primary repairs follow the schedule below; revisions and complex labral patterns often get a longer protected phase. The second is sport: throwing, swimming, and overhead athletes typically wait longer than non-overhead athletes before returning to sport-specific drills, and the criteria-based gate (strength symmetry, ROM, ER tolerance) matters more than the calendar.
Honest gap: this page surfaces the curve's medium-confidence rating because the week-6 and week-12 VAS values are interpolated rather than measured in any Bankart-specific cohort. The shape (acute → settled by 6 weeks → essentially well by 3 months) is consistent across protocols, but the precise numbers are not directly measured.
milestone table
Typical milestones
| milestone | typical week | range |
|---|---|---|
| Return to light / sedentary (desk) work | wk 2.5 | Office workers around 2.5 weeks (range 1-17); often once off narcotic pain medication |
| Sling discontinued | wk 4.8 | Mean 4.8 weeks across 30 protocols; many use 6 weeks |
| External-rotation restriction phase ends (full passive ER) | wk 9.1 | Guarded ER from ~3.6 weeks; full passive ER by ~9 weeks; no forced ER for ~3 months |
| Return to physical / heavy-labor work | wk 12 | Median 12 weeks for physical jobs (range 4-20); overall RTW median 7 weeks |
| Full active range of motion / overhead reaching restored | wk 12.2 | Full active ROM by ~12 weeks; full passive ROM ~9 weeks |
| Return to contact / overhead sport | wk 32 | Return to sport mean ~32 weeks (~7.5 months); return to competitive play ~39 weeks; criteria-based, contact later |
Table 1 — Typical milestones for Shoulder labral / Bankart repair. Each row links to the cited source.
weeks 0–1
Weeks 0-1 · acute pain, sling
The PMC7879172 RCT measured VAS pain in the first week. The 24-hour mean was about 5.6/10 (high band up to 8/10 reflecting block wear-off). By day 4 the mean had fallen to 3.9/10, and by week 1 it was 2.7/10 (range 1-4.5/10).
The sling is worn continuously, including for sleep. Elbow, wrist, and hand exercises start from day one. Passive shoulder ROM under physiotherapist supervision typically begins in the first one or two weeks per most protocols.
typical pain · wk 1
Around week 1, the typical band sits at 2.7/10 (range 1-4.5). Measured directly in the cited cohort.
weeks 2–5
Weeks 2-5 · sling, restricted ER, light desk work
Office workers typically return at a median of 2.5 weeks per the PMC10532194 cohort (range 1-17 weeks), often once off narcotic pain medication. The sling stays on for most daily activity.
External rotation is the dominant restriction in this window. Guarded ER typically starts around week 3.6 per the pooled protocol review; full passive ER is generally restricted until around week 9 to protect the repaired anterior labrum.
Pain is generally low through this window — well-controlled with standard analgesia, mostly a function of immobilization discomfort and incision soreness rather than acute pain.
typical pain · wk 4
Around week 4, the typical band sits at 2.3/10 (range 1-3.9). Interpolated between adjacent measured points.
- wk 2.5 ·Return to light / sedentary (desk) work (Office workers around 2.5 weeks (range 1-17); often once off narcotic pain medication)
- wk 4.8 ·Sling discontinued (Mean 4.8 weeks across 30 protocols; many use 6 weeks)
weeks 5–9
Weeks 5-9 · out of the sling, building motion
Sling discontinuation happens around week 4.8 in the protocol-pooled mean; many protocols use six weeks. Sleep without the sling and a return to most light daily activity follows.
Active and active-assisted ROM work fills this window. Full passive ER typically returns by around week 9, after which forced ER is still avoided for another month or so.
typical pain · wk 7
Around week 7, the typical band sits at 1.9/10 (range 0.9-3.4). Interpolated between adjacent measured points.
weeks 9–13
Weeks 9-13 · full active motion, strength
Full active range of motion typically returns by around week 12. Strength work — rotator cuff, scapular stabilizers, deltoid — fills the back half of this window. Pain at this point is essentially in the noise for the modal patient.
Return to physical or heavy-labor work tracks at a median of 12 weeks per the PMC10532194 cohort (range 4-20 weeks).
typical pain · wk 11
Around week 11, the typical band sits at 1.6/10 (range 0.6-3.1). Interpolated between adjacent measured points.
- wk 9.1 ·External-rotation restriction phase ends (full passive ER) (Guarded ER from ~3.6 weeks; full passive ER by ~9 weeks; no forced ER for ~3 months)
- wk 12.2 ·Full active range of motion / overhead reaching restored (Full active ROM by ~12 weeks; full passive ROM ~9 weeks)
- wk 12 ·Return to physical / heavy-labor work (Median 12 weeks for physical jobs (range 4-20); overall RTW median 7 weeks)
weeks 13–28
Weeks 13-28 · return to sport
Return to contact or overhead sport is the back-end milestone, conventionally around 5-7 months (week 20-28). Teen athletes have a pooled return time of about 6.6 months. The criteria-based gate is strength symmetry (typically >=90%), full ROM, and ER tolerance under load — contact sports require an additional cushion.
Pain through this window is essentially nil for the modal patient; the constraint is functional readiness, not analgesia.
week by week
Open a specific week
A focused read for shoulder labral repair recovery at a single point in time — the typical pain band for that week, the milestones around it, and the documented patterns, each with its source.
Step 1 · input
Set your recovery point
current pain level
Create a free account to reveal your curve, milestones, and the research behind them. No card needed.
questions
Common questions about shoulder labral / bankart repair recovery
How long do I wear the sling after a Bankart repair?
- About 4-6 weeks. The pooled mean across 30 published Bankart rehabilitation protocols is 4.8 weeks; many surgeons use six weeks. Continuous wear including sleep is standard.
Why is external rotation restricted for so long?
- Because forced external rotation directly stresses the anterior labral repair. Most protocols guard ER from about week 3.6, allow full passive ER by week 9, and avoid forced ER for about three months total. This restriction is the single biggest factor in the longer-than-expected return to overhead sport.
When can I return to office work?
- Median 2.5 weeks per the PMC10532194 cohort (range 1-17 weeks). The constraint is usually being off narcotic pain medication and tolerating the sling at a desk, not the work itself.
When can I return to contact or overhead sport?
- Conventionally 5-7 months. Teen athletes have a pooled return time of about 6.6 months. Clearance is criteria-based — strength symmetry above 90%, full ROM, ER tolerance under load — and contact sports require an additional margin over non-contact.
When will I have full active range of motion back?
- Around week 12 for the modal patient, with full passive ROM typically returning by week 9. Strength work follows the return of motion rather than preceding it.
sources
What this page is built from
- NSAIDs vs opioids after arthroscopic Bankart repair: RCT (n=80, VAS trajectory) RCT · reliability 7/10
- Physical therapy protocols for arthroscopic Bankart repair (30 protocols) protocol review · reliability 7.5/10
- Return to work after arthroscopic Bankart repair (prospective cohort) prospective cohort · reliability 7/10
related timelines
Save your check-ins so a flare doesn't erase the months behind it.
Start a recovery log