Rotator cuff tears can occur due to repetition of activities or aging leading to the degeneration. While we provide non-surgical modalities at Spine Center Atlanta to ease the pain of a rotator cuff injury, a surgery may be needed to repair the torn tendons fully. After reviewing your injury, we create a tailored care plan that targets the problem and will help you get back to your regular day activities. To schedule an appointment, call one of the seven offices in Atlanta, Savannah, Conyers, Augusta, Macon, and Decatur, Georgia, or book an in-person or telemedicine appointment online today.

What is a rotator cuff?

The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that hold the shoulder in place. This group allows you to lift your arm and reach.

How do you know if you have injured your rotator cuff?

You may have injured your rotator cuff if you have:

• Recurrent pain in your shoulder
• Dull ache in your shoulder
• Limited ability to move the arm
• Muscle weakness in arm

What is the treatment for a torn rotator cuff?

Non-surgical modalities to treat a torn rotator cuff are rest, steroid injections, strengthing exercises, stretching, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medicines. If these modalities do not relieve your pain, it may be time to talk to our board-certified surgeons about cuff rotator repair surgery.

What happens during a rotator cuff repair?

Procedures may vary depending on the serverity of your rotator cuff injury. Rotator cuff repair is typically an outpatient service that will be done while under general anesthesia or awake under local or regional anesthesia. Depending on the specific procedure being done, the type of anesthesia used will vary. Generally after anesthesia is admistered, an incision will be made in the shoulder area as an open surgery, arthoscopic tendon repair, tendon transfer, or a shoulder replacement. Injured tendons and muscles will be repaired or replaced with a graft tendon from another part of the body and bone spurs will be removed if present. The incision or incisions will be closed with either stitches or surgical tape.

Open Tendon Repair

A larger incision to reattach the damaged tendon to the bone.

Arthroscopic Tendon Repair

An arthroscope (small camera) and tools are used through small incisions to reattach the torn tendon to the bone non-invasively.

Tendon Transfer

A torn tendon may be too damaged to be reattached to the arm bone and a nearby tendon will be used as a replacement.

Shoulder Replacement

Intensive rotator cuff injury may require the shoulder to be replaced. An innovative procedure of reverse shoulder arthroplasty installs the ball part of the artifical joint onto the socket part onto the arm bone and the shoulder blade.

If you need your rotator cuff injury assessed, please consult our orthopedic specialists at Spine Center Atlanta. Call the nearest office or book an appointment online today.