ROTATOR CUFF INJURIES

Rotator cuff tears are the most common injuries of the shoulder. Rotator cuff is a group of tendons that attach the forearm bone to the shoulder bone and aid in lifting and rotating the arm.

Tears in the rotator cuff cause pain and disability in adults.

Rotator cuff tears are caused by injury and degeneration.

ACUTE TEAR

Falling down on your outstretched arm or lifting something too heavy with a jerking motion, can tear your rotator cuff.

DEGENERATIVE TEAR

Other types of tears are the result of wearing down of the tendon that occurs gradually over time or with ageing. With a degenerative tear in one shoulder, the likelihood of a rotator cuff tear in the opposite shoulder is greater.

Some factors that contribute to degenerative, or chronic, rotator cuff tears are:

• Repetitive stress: Repeating the same shoulder motions again and again can stress your rotator cuff muscles and tendons. Sports activities and routine chores can also cause overuse of tears.
• Lack of blood supply: With age, the blood supply to our rotator cuff tendons is reduced. This can ultimately lead to a tendon tear.
• Bone spurs: These are overgrowth of the bone that often develop, and hurts with lifting of our arms, when the spurs rub on the rotator cuff tendon. Over time, it will weaken the tendon increasing the tendency to tear.

CAUSES

• Fall on an outstretched arm
• Wear of tendons with aging
• Repetitive stress
• Lack of blood supply
• Bony overgrowth or bone spurs

SYMPTOMS

• Pain at rest, when lying on the affected shoulder
• Pain when lifting or moving shoulder
• Crackling sounds when moving shoulder
• Weakness when lifting or rotating arms.

INVESTIGATIONS

• X- Rays
• MRI
• Ultrasound

TREATMENT

NON-SURGICAL

• Rest
• Medication
• Strengthening exercises
• Physical therapy

SURGICAL

• Surgery

About Doctor:

Dr.KHALEELULLAH is a renowned gold medal award-winning Orthopaedician in Hyderabad. He has got extensive experience of more than 15 years and positioned himself as the best orthopedic surgeon in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. He worked for nearly 8 years in the prestigious Nizams Institute of Medical Sciences(NIMS), Hyderabad where he acquired vast skills and knowledge about managing complicated orthopedic problems. He proved himself as the right Ortho Surgeon with MCH specialization with his deep interest in the area of joint reconstruction surgeries.