Rotator Cuff Tear
Robyne Bridges
Definition
A tear of one or more of the tendons of the four rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder.
Summary
Symptoms:
- Be described as a dull ache deep in the shoulder.
- Disturb sleep, particularly if you lie on the affected shoulder.
- Make it difficult to comb your hair or reach behind your back.
Body Parts Affected
- Shoulder
- Arm
- Back
Signs
- Be described as a dull ache deep in the shoulder
- Disturb sleep, particularly if you lie on the affected shoulder
- Make it difficult to comb your hair or reach behind your back
- Be accompanied by arm weakness
Test
- X-Ray
- MRI
Treatment
- Surgery
- Rest
- Activity Modification
- Physical Therapy
- Steroid Injection
Prognosis
- Depending on the age of the person and the extent of the injury, nonsurgical treatment is reported to have a success rate of 40% to 90%.
- Older people may have a much longer time to complete recovery.
- Those patients undergoing surgical repair have a high rate of recovery. One study found 94% of the people were satisfied after surgery with lasting relief of pain and improved function. Results depend upon the extent of the injury. Patients with large rotator cuff tears fare less well.
Statistics
- 61% of the patients were still symptomatic at 18 months
- 26% of patients rated their symptoms as severe.
- 18% in certain workers who performed heavy manual labor.
Citation
- Google.com
- WebMD.com
- Mayoclinic.org
Questions
- What is the cause of a Rotator Cuff Tear?
- How do you heal the injury?