Repair of Rotator Cuff Tears
What is Repair of Rotator Cuff Tears?
When one or more of the rotator cuff tendons is torn, the tendon no longer fully attaches to the head of the humerus. Most tears occur in the supraspinatus muscle and tendon, but other parts of the rotator cuff may also be involved.
In many cases, torn tendons begin by fraying. As the damage progresses, the tendon can completely tear, sometimes with lifting a heavy object.
There are different types of tears.
- Partial Tear -This type of tear damages the soft tissue, but does not completely sever it
- Full-Thickness Tear -This type of tear is also called a complete tear. It splits the soft tissue into two pieces
Why is Repairing of Rotator Cuff Tear done?
Surgery to repair a rotator cuff is done when:
- A rotator cuff tear is caused by a sudden injury. In these cases, it’s best to do surgery soon after the injury
- A complete rotator cuff tear causes severe shoulder weakness
- The rotator cuff has failed to improve with 3 to 6 months of conservative nonsurgical treatment alone (such as physical therapy)
- You need full shoulder strength and function for your job or activities
- You are in good enough physical condition to recover from surgery and will commit to completing a program of physical rehabilitation
What are the risk involve?
- Bleeding
- Infection
- Nerve damage
- Stiffness of the shoulder
- Failure of the surgery to relieve symptoms
- Failure of the repair to heal
- Weakness of the shoulder
Post operation procedure
Surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff is usually very successful at relieving pain in the shoulder. The procedure may not always return strength to the shoulder. Rotator cuff repair can require a long recovery period, especially if the tear was large. In many cases, arthroscopy reduces the need to surgically open the shoulder joint. This can result in less pain and stiffness.
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