#Rotator cuff tear
What is a Rotator Cuff Tear?
A rotator cuff tear is a typical injury in sports, such as baseball or tennis, or in jobs that require a repeated motion. This is a normal wear and tear injury and occurs when you repeat a motion on the same arm over and over again. Although, this injury can also occur if you have a sudden fall on your arm.
We group rotator cuff tears into two types, a partial tear, and a complete tear.
A partial tear is when you damage a tendon that shields the top of your shoulder.
A complete tear either tears the tendon off of the bone or goes completely through the tendon.
A complete tear and a partial tear are always noticeable, due to you being able to feel the tear immediately when the incident occurs.
Symptoms of a Rotator Cuff Tear:
The number one symptom for a rotator cuff tear is that you can feel the tear when it occurs. In some cases, you might experience the following:
Feel pain when you move your arm in certain ways or lie on it.
Have trouble raising your arm.
Be unable to lift things like you normally do.
Have weakness in your shoulder.
Hear clicking or popping when you move your arm.
If any of the above-mentioned signs occur seek medical attention. A rotator cuff which goes untreated can lead to very serious complications over time.
Rotator Cuff Tear Treatment:
A typical treatment for a rotator cuff injury is to first strengthen your shoulder muscles with physical therapy. Medications and anti-inflammatory drugs may be administered for a short time to help deal with pain and swelling. In some instances, surgery is a requirement.
If physical therapy and medications fail to work, you may need to explore surgery as an option. If it is a complete tear, this is more advisable and common. It is typical for a surgeon to stitch together the torn area or reattach the tendon to the bone.
Rotator Cuff Tear Surgical Options:
Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: A small incision is made and then an arthroscope is inserted into the cut with tiny tools to fix the tear. This option comes with less downtown and a smaller scar.
Open repair: Utilizing larger instruments than the arthroscopic repair, your surgeon will enter and repair the tear.
Mini-open repair: This method uses both arthroscopic and open repair techniques. The surgeon starts with an arthroscope and ends with larger tools and a larger incision..
