Anyone tore a lat and not had it fixed?

[Pheedno]

I tore my right lat partially from the humorous about 13 years ago. Still competed and lifted the same, as my surrounding musculature was able to compensate and it didn't take away from the look too much(I actually didn't know I tore it back then). About 5 years ago, the remainder of the humorous attachment broke free. It limited my movement on lat heavy movements but I still had enough surrounding muscle elsewhere to not have issue and I was done competing so the look didn't matter. In the last couple years I've purposely been losing a bit of muscle to downsize and it's becoming a issue in the same side shoulder and hip. I'm doing rehab currently on the shoulder and hip capsule to gain/restore range of motion to the joints as step 1.
I've seen a surgeon and going in for a nerve study next week. Surgeon says it's unclear on whether a reattachment is possible.
Has anyone had a torn lat and not had it fixed?

 

[TrippplePPP]

If its been over a couple weeks or months I'm not sure if they are even able to reattach it. The muscle retracts and makes it very difficult to reattach for any muscle. If you do not have pain because of it and you function well is it worth it to do a surgery for it?

 

[mitochondria]

never heard anyone tearing the lat. What lift did it happen on? ya its a weird conundrum when it doesn't completely come off the bone, you almost might as well as lift to rip it off the bone so you can get the surgery, thats my outlook on it, that tendon is not gona heal itself back to the bone

 

[Pheedno]

If its been over a couple weeks or months I'm not sure if they are even able to reattach it. The muscle retracts and makes it very difficult to reattach for any muscle. If you do not have pain because of it and you function well is it worth it to do a surgery for it?

It's a strange situation. It's detached from the humorous but still attached to the bottom of the scapula, the ribs and then down to the origin. The portion that tore away from the arm curled under the scapula so it never "balled up". According to the surgeon, who's one of the top guys in Houston. If the nerve study confirms there is viable nerve tissue then it's possible to reattach.

I never had issue with it because surrounding musculature compensated for it. Now that I'm getting older and downsizing, the anti-axial function that the lat normally serves is diminishing. I'm beginning to have impaired shoulder function of the affected side, rising hip on the affected side, and frozen shoulder symptoms of the opposite side. I'm 5 weeks in to a rehab/corrective exercise program set up through physical therapy but it's looking to be discouraging, if I'd like to continue train heavy(ish).

 

[KillerStack]

never heard anyone tearing the lat.

It's not that uncommon among the pros actually.

Often it's small enough to where you don't notice it at first glance.

 

[FartJohnson]

This far out i would think physical therapy is the best solution. re-learning proper muscle recruitment patterns, strengthening weak/underutiliezd muscles, restoring flexibility, etc. surgery isnt always curative and has risks of its own, of course.

Listen to your medical team but keep in mind when you're talking to the surgeon that everything looks like a nail when you're holding a hammer

 

[BALDNAZI]

Look up strongman Nick Best’s video when his lat tore on a heavy deadlift, it’s pretty unnerving. He’s since had it a repaired and is back lifting heavy. Thing is if you watch his back training videos since surgery he doesn’t baby it at all and is just throwing stupid weight around. I cringe when I watch because it just looks like he’s asking for trouble. Nothing slow and controlled about it