Rotator cuff repair

San Diego Shoulder Specialists. Find a Sharp Should Doctor Near You Today. What to do before rotator cuff surgery? How long are you off work after shoulder surgery?

How to heal an injured rotator cuff?

What is the average recovery time for a rotator cuff injury? If your rotator cuff is injure you may need to repair it surgically. This may include shaving off bone spurs that are pinching the shoulder, or repairing torn tendons or muscles in the shoulder.

Surgical techniques that may be used to repair a tear of the rotator cuff include arthroscopy, open surgery, or a combination of both. Rotator cuff repair is surgery to repair a torn tendon in the shoulder. The procedure can be done with a large (open) incision or with shoulder arthroscopy, which uses smaller incisions.

Massive rotator cuff injuries may require shoulder replacement surgery.

Tears in the rotator cuff result from a combination of injury and weakening of the tendon from wear and tear, disuse, repeated use of steroid (cortisone) injection, and smoking. The extent of injury necessary to tear the cuff depends on the quality of the tendon. Young healthy rotator cuff tendon is almost impossible to tear. A rotator cuff repair involves stitching the torn tendon back onto its attachment to the arm bone (Humerus).

This may be performed either through keyhole surgery (Arthroscopy) or open surgery, using sutures and bone anchors. A partial tear, however, may need only a trimming or smoothing procedure called a debridement. A complete tear is repaired by stitching the tendon back to its original site on the humerus. Rehabilitation Protocol for Rotator Cuff Repair This protocol is intended to guide clinicians and patients through the post-operative course of a rotator cuff repair.

Specific interventions should be based on the needs of the individual and should consider exam findings and clinical decision making. Mini-Open Rotator Cuff Repair Mini-open repair uses both arthroscopic and open surgery techniques. Arthroscopy is used to evaluate the injury, trim away bone spurs, and remove loose cartilage. These muscles and tendons hold the shoulder joint (where the bones of your shoulder meet) in place.

Tendons are tough tissues that join muscle to bone. It is most often done today through an arthroscopic technique – small incisions around the shoulder. It is important after the surgery to protect the rotator cuff repair for several weeks while it heals, and during this time it is very common for the shoulder to get stiff to a lesser or greater degree.

Your doctor and physical therapist can keep an eye on this for you and let you know if your stiffness is the expected amount or too excessive.

The goal of rotator cuff repair surgery is to help restore the function and flexibility of the shoulder and to relieve pain. People having rotator cuff surgery should understand each step of rehab as a good outcome is highly dependent on the healing and rehabilitation that follows surgery. Becoming too active, too soon can lead to a new tear or injury. A full recovery from rotator cuff surgery can take months to one year.

While it may mean that a surgical repair of the rotator cuff is not possible, there are certainly other treatment options, both surgical and nonsurgical treatments. Surgery to repair the rotator cuff becomes an option if shoulder pain does not respond to non-surgical treatments. Nonsurgical treatments include ice, anti-inflammatory medications, cortisone injections, activity modifications, and physical therapy. The torn tendon fibers are repaired with sutures, and the tendon is reattached to the humerus. For many people, physical therapy (PT) is the answer.

It may be all you need to treat an injured rotator cuff. PT is a way to get back strength and movement after an injury. Learn what the frequent causes of Rotator Cuff Tears are right now.