Common Shoulder Problems
Rotator Cuff Tears
Rotator cuff tears usually occur at the insertion of the tendon into the bony head of the humerus. The actual tear may be only several millimeters long, or it may involve the entire insertion of the tendons into the humerus. The patient's level of pain and disability will greatly be affected by the size and severity of these tears.
Complete tears of the rotator cuff will not heal on their own for two main reasons. The first is because the tendons of the rotator cuff are under tension. When a portion of the tendon becomes torn, it retracts. It is like stretching a rubber band and letting one end go. This retraction keeps the ends of the torn tissue apart, resulting in the tear not healing. The second reason is that the tendons of the rotator cuff, like all tendons, have a very limited blood supply which can make healing of torn tendons difficult.
The only effective way to treat a complete tear of the rotator cuff is with surgery. During the surgical procedure, the surgeon will increase the space for the tendons of the rotator cuff and firmly attach the ends of the torn tendon into the bone of the humeral head. A program of physical therapy is then used to rehabilitate the shoulder after surgery.
Rotator cuff tears usually occur at the insertion of the tendon into the bony head of the humerus. The actual tear may be only several millimeters long, or it may involve the entire insertion of the tendons into the humerus. The patient's level of pain and disability will greatly be affected by the size and severity of these tears.
Complete tears of the rotator cuff will not heal on their own for two main reasons. The first is because the tendons of the rotator cuff are under tension. When a portion of the tendon becomes torn, it retracts. It is like stretching a rubber band and letting one end go. This retraction keeps the ends of the torn tissue apart, resulting in the tear not healing. The second reason is that the tendons of the rotator cuff, like all tendons, have a very limited blood supply which can make healing of torn tendons difficult.
The only effective way to treat a complete tear of the rotator cuff is with surgery. During the surgical procedure, the surgeon will increase the space for the tendons of the rotator cuff and firmly attach the ends of the torn tendon into the bone of the humeral head. A program of physical therapy is then used to rehabilitate the shoulder after surgery.