Rotator Cuff Injury: Treatment & Risks

If you’re in need of treatment for a rotator cuff injury, let Rothman Orthopaedic Institute give you the info you need to get you started.

Have you or a loved one recently suffered tears or other damage to the rotator cuff? Rotator cuff injuries unfortunately have difficulty healing on their own, limiting non-surgical treatment options. To understand the proper approach to treating a rotator cuff injury, it is important to also understand the details of the injury itself.

The rotator cuff is located at the shoulder joint, comprised of four muscles and their tendons. The muscles and tendons wrap around forming a “cuff” at the upper end of the arm. The rotator cuff serves to guide shoulder movement and provide a wide range of motion to the joint, allowing for lifting and rotating movements. The rotator cuff also provides stabilization for the ball joint at the upper end of the humerus, in the socket of the shoulder.

The most common medical condition affecting the rotator cuff is a condition called tendonitis, wherein the tendons and bursa (friction-preventing sacs) become inflamed. Tendonitis is caused either by sudden trauma to the shoulder, by repeated overhead activity, or by general overuse of the arm.

Rotator Cuff Injury Treatment Options

If a rotator cuff injury does not respond to conservative non surgical treatment:

• Activity Modification

• Physical Therapy

• Medication

• Injections

Then surgery may be needed. The type of surgery to be carried out depends on the size, shape, and location of the tear.

Tendonitis

For tendonitis, surgery involves removing the inflamed bursal tissue around the rotator cuff, and shaving off part of the shoulder blade (acromion bone), this helps maximize the space above the rotator cuff.

Partial Tear

In the case of a partial tear, surgery may only need to involve a trimming or smoothing treatment called “debridement,” wherein just the damaged tissue is removed from the affected area.

Complete Tear

A complete tear generally implies a tear in the tendon, repaired by stitching together the two sides of the tendon. If, however, the tendon has been completely torn off the humerus, the repair can be done directly to the bone instead.

Three General Approaches to Rotator Cuff Surgery

The good news about rotator cuff injuries is that most procedures are able to be carried out on an outpatient basis. There are three general approaches available:

1. Arthroscopic Repair - A miniature fiber-optic scope is inserted through small puncture wounds, along with other small instruments. Your Rothman physician can repair rotator cuff damage using video control, eliminating the need for larger open incisions.

2. Mini-open Repair - Orthopaedic surgeons can now perform complete procedures for rotator cuff repair through incisions as small as four to six centimeters, thanks to modern techniques and instrumentation.

3. Open Surgical Repair - In the case of a large or complex rotator cuff tear, or if additional reconstruction like a tendon transfer is needed, a traditional open surgical incision may be needed. In the more severe cases, replacement surgery may also be required.

If you are searching for rotator cuff injury specialists, the physicians at Rothman Orthopaedic Institute are highly experienced and well trained in addressing rotator cuff injuries, and will prescribe the most effective treatment for you. For more information about treatment for rotator cuff injuries, visit us here or contact us at 1-800-321-9999.