You may hear the term “fatty infiltration” for the first time when you see a physician about a rotator cuff injury. After you tear the tendon in your shoulder, a large gap remains between the tendon and the bones, keeping the shoulder muscle from performing its usual actions of shortening and lengthening. The body attempts […]
The rotator cuff is a complex of four muscles and the tendons that attach them to the three bones that make up the shoulder joint. A tear in any one of the tendons is extremely common and can cause pain, weakness and limited range of motion. Tears in rotator cuff tendons develop in two ways. […]
Rotator cuff tears are common, and recovery can take a long time. But do all rotator cuff tears need to be surgically repaired? After reviewing 137 studies on the outcomes of rotator cuff treatments, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, a division of the federal Department of Health and Human Services, said no. The […]
“Frozen shoulder” is the casual term for adhesive capsulitis. The shoulder capsule is a protective layer of strong connective tissue, normally flexible, that surrounds the joint. When sti ff bands called adhesions develop within the tissue, the result is restricted movement. In addition, the quantity of lubricating liquid (synovial fl uid) within the joint may diminish, making […]
If your shoulder is prone to recurrent dislocations, a surgery known as a Bankart procedure is often used to stabilize the joint. However, that surgery often fails because the repair is not strong enough or the shoulder socket is damaged. In that case, a shoulder bone graft may be required. In a shoulder bone graft, […]
Are you an avid swimmer now sidelined by swimmer’s shoulder? You have plenty of company. Swimmer’s shoulder can develop from overuse, a change in your stroke or an increase in the intensity or duration of your swimming activity. Swimmers tend to have above-average flexibility and range of motion in the shoulder—that’s great for swimming. But […]
For most of us, the idea of “fighting fat” is nothing new. But fat is not just an enemy of your waistline. It’s an enemy of your muscles, too—especially when you are recovering from rotator cuff surgery. When the rotator cuff tendon is torn, a gap between the tendon and bones is formed. Your body […]
It is a classic movie scene: The hero’s shoulder gets knocked out of joint. With a nonchalant grunt, he pushes it back into place and goes about his business saving the world. Well, that might work in the movies, but in real life a dislocated shoulder is a very serious problem that cannot be simply […]
Those popping and crackling noises heard when you move your shoulder are normal, most of the time, but should these sounds and sensations be accompanied by pain, swelling and loss of joint function, you may be experiencing degeneration of the acromioclavicular (AC) joint. Smooth surfaces of the cartilage that line the shoulder degrade, and the […]
Better known as a broken collarbone, a clavicle fracture is a common injury among people of all ages. Despite its location, the collarbone is not part of the neck, but rather a bone that connects the rib cage and the shoulder blade. A break in the collarbone often occurs in the middle of the bone. […]