Sounds like no guarantee of 100% return to normal, and I'm about 95% now, not to mention a lengthy recovery. Not too sure if this article is still active but I'll ask anyways. First thing to say is that when the best way forward seems uncertain to someone, seeking a second opinion is usually not a bad idea. So in summary Tim, I would say I feel for you buddy. The purpose of this study was to compare clinical outcome measures at least 1 year postoperatively between patients who had completion of a high-grade partial thickness supraspinatus tear to a full-thickness tear (PT) and those who had an isolated full-thickness supraspinatus tear (FT). This may result in pain and weakness of the shoulder. I say promising because work in basic science and animal studies have demonstrated some quite promising findings. At 55 years of age you still have a lot of living still to do, so don't be afraid to talk openly with your doctor about the success rates for all of the options available to you, and the likely recovery times involved. Advice welcomed. Surgery to repair tendons generally involves a long recovery period. Tearing can be caused by atraumatic tears due to overuse and longstanding degeneration.4 Tear enlargement can occur due to increasing age.2 Patients who experience enlarging rotator cuff tears are five times more likely to develop symptoms than those with tears that remain the same.2 Older individuals have progressively become more active, increasing the chances of sustaining large and massive rotator cuff tears. They usually present as a sharp pain at the outside or front of the shoulder, particularly with arm elevation (raising the arm to the side or front). The supraspinatus muscle is a relatively small muscle, but very it's important one. A supraspinatus tendon tear can be full thickness (meaning that the entire muscle is affected) or partial thickness (or an incomplete tear). I can't comment on the nature of care you have received, but I can say that you are not alone in this type of experience! It is also worth mentioning that not all PTs are created equal. I have had shoulder pain for years and years. Results are as followsstudy demonstrates degenerative arthritis around the acromioclavicular joint. And overall her last resort for surgical intervention is a reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment! there is minimal AC arthrosis. It may be as small as a pinpoint, or the tear may involve the entire tendon. There is compromise of the subacromial space with impression on the underlying torn supraspinatus. Waiting until after the delivery of your baby to re-attach the tendon may increase the chance of a poorer outcome (not to mention the difficulty nursing a newborn with only one functional arm). I returned to the orthopedic surgeon at which point he did an x-ray which looked good and sent for a mri Monday. This exercise can be good for pain relief, and may also help increase the range of motion in the shoulder joint. I checked into my local VA hospital and initiated my disability claim. This sounds like quite a pain (literally). A couple of final remarks that may unfortunately muddy the waters for you: Adhesive capsulitis generally resolves without the need for surgery, and aggressive physical therapy may actually worsen the symptoms in some cases. Anyone want to shed a little light for a vet? While hauling a box of machine gun ammunition up a ladder (I was holding onto the ladder with one arm and the box of ammo in the other) my right shoulder randomly decided to give up on me. @anonymous: Dude, I just did nearly the exact same thing. Your surgeon will be able to explain the potential risks and benefits (as well as if he thinks any alternatives are likely to be helpful). I then went to see another orthopaedic surgeon who said I have whiplash. This will help you figure out what you are deciding between. If surgery is not indicated, your doctor should be able to refer you to a physical therapist who will likely assess your shoulder movement and be able to provide you with a tailored program to help strengthen your rotator cuff. My husband just had and MRI and it showed a Nonretracted small insertion full-thickness tear of the supraspinatus tendon. My pain is mostly in the bicep area and I do not have trouble lifting the arm but bringing it back down and also bringing the lower arm down when the upper arm is at 90 degrees. I have pain all the time, it hurts to put a shirt on, can't lay on it, reaching out to my side it hurts to turn my pillow. It is best to stick within the range of movement indicated on the video rather than try to rotate your arm too far out to the side and potentially aggravate already inflamed rotator cuff tendons. I have also been doing the pendulum exercise as prescribed and figured walking with the sling off would be no more risky to the staples. PDF Rotator Cuff Tear - University Hospital Coventry That means it becomes more like fatty tissue. When we finally returned home from sea a few weeks later, my shoulder had become so painful and stiff, It was nearly impossible to do just about anything. To be as specific as I can, It feels like someone shoved a knife right into the top of my shoulder blade and right down inside my shoulder. is PT a good options. It did manage to decrease my overall pain but I still feel like I'm suffering unnecessarily. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your story. dr mike,a i got an mri shoulder pain, the surgen said it was adhesive capsulitis and with about 6 weeks of pt it would be fine, but the mri report also said there was a tear, the doctor said the report was wrong, needless to say i got a second opinion, the next doctor ordered a new mri and he suggest surgery , i am at a loss, should i get a 3rd opinion just to be sure? I was told that they were now wanting to do surgery to actually go in and see what they might be able to do to repair some of the damage they thought they saw. There are a few options for repairing rotator cuff tears. A full thickness tear is not usually a complete rupture. Outcome of Intraoperative Injection of Collagen in - PubMed I slept in a recliner for about 2 1/2 months following surgery (I don't think I slept at all before surgery :) ). You may be trying to access this site from a secured browser on the server. We will also discuss surgical interventions for tendon injuries. The most common symptoms of a rotator cuff tear include: Tears that happen suddenly, such as from a fall, usually cause intense pain. only taking out for prescribed exercises (e.g. There is some spurring at the glenoid articular surface. It plays a critical role in movements involving the shoulder joint, particularly arm elevation. Quality of life, measured using any validated instrument. People who have partial thickness supraspinatus tendon tears following a fall or mechanical trauma often report similar symptoms to people with whiplash associated disorders (aka whiplash). This type of tear can occur with other injuries, such as a broken collarbone, a dislocated shoulder, or a wrist fracture. Communication between health professionals (such as PTs and surgeons) may not be as good as it could be. In addition to arm elevation, the supraspinatus muscle is critical in pulling the head of the humerus (the ball part of the ball and socket joint) into the glenoid (socket). I suspect you have a bit of work to do over the next 6 months or so to help your shoulder recover. So while surgery always carries some risks (which your surgeon will be able to explain), for some people this is the only option to experience a good outcome. while that helped in the short term and improved my left arm motion range, after i stopped the therapy the pain came back and reduced the range. Hey DrMikeM doin some research and came across your sight and thought I'd add my two cents. Partial Rotator Cuff Tear | Johns Hopkins Medicine I can say though that PT's are trained to help people with painful ROM. It sounds like you may have already discussed the likelihood of success with your surgeon, if not, this would be a very wise thing to do. It sounds like you are not following your surgeons instructions! Titles and abstracts will then be screened by one reviewer for assessment against the inclusion criteria for the review. I was instructed to ice pack my shoulder and take it easy. The rotator cuff muscles are critical to the stability and optimal biomechanical movement at the shoulder joint. Re-attaching the tendon to the bone as you have described is a substantial surgery, the first months of recovery after this type of surgery are very important to ensure that the tendon does not detach / rupture and optimal recovery can occur. Think about all the times you lift your arms above shoulder height in a given day and try to rearrange your home accordingly. my ROM did increase a very small amount, but my pain and discomfort never went away. Thanks for stopping by and sharing your story. Supraspinatus tendon tears are the most common tendon tear in the shoulder region. There is fluid distending the long head of the biceps tendon sheath, representing tenosynovitis. I'm quite apprehensive and nervous about the surgery but more so about the recovery. It's very good of you to reply so promptly and clearly though. its been three months with some pt but no noticeable improvement. The MRI report says: 1. very large, nearly complete tear of the supraspinatus tendon from the tendon insertion with 1cm retraction of tendon fibers. Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment. Most of the time, it is accompanied by another rotator cuff muscle tear. It is possible this tear may communicate with the bursal surface anteriorly. Overall, it will often take 6 months or more before the shoulder is completely back to normal. Mary Kay. As such, no conclusion on non-surgical treatments was reached.
full thickness tear of the supraspinatus tendon surgery
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