The rotator cuff muscles help in the rotation of shoulder and form a cuff around the head of the upper arm bone or humerus. Your rotator cuff muscles and tendons are vulnerable to inflammation, partial and full thickness tears and tendonitis.

Massive rotator cuff tears can cause pain and disability. Patients with bigger tears will experience that their shoulder does not function properly or feels weak. The rotator cuff is a series of four muscles that coordinate the motion and play a critical role in functioning of the shoulder.

A massive rotator cuff tear occurs when at least 2 of the 4 rotator cuff muscles are torn or detached from your upper arm. Such tears can occur due to a traumatic injury or degeneration or wear of the rotator cuff. The cause of the tear will be primary consideration while creating a treatment plan.

Surgery is recommended to treat bigger tears but in situations where the muscle has atrophied (become smaller) and retracted (detached from the bone), physical therapy may be the initial phase of treatment. If physical therapy is unsuccessful, surgery is considered.

The success rate in treatment of a big rotator cuff tear depends on how old the tear was and the quality of your tendons at the time of repair. Poor tissue and bone quality typically leads to poor results from a rotator cuff repair. Seeking early treatment is also beneficial in case of rotator cuff tears since old tears are difficult to heal.

In a situation where your first surgery failed, a second attempt to repair the tendon may not work either. In this case, alternative procedures have to be adopted to relieve pain and improve functionality in the shoulder.

The treatment of rotator cuff tears depends upon the thickness of the tear (partial-thickness versus full-thickness) and the whether the injury is acute or due to gradual wear and tear. In patients with acute full-thickness rotator cuff tears caused by a sudden injury, surgery is advised to reattach the torn rotator cuff tendon to the bone of the humerus. The orthopedic surgeons at Phoenix Shoulder and Knee perform this procedure using the modern, cutting-edge minimally invasive arthroscopy.

In patients with partial tears or wear and tear rotator cuff tears, initially conservative treatments, such as medication, physical therapy and steroid injections are often recommended. If this conservative approach doesn’t prove successful, surgery may be considered.

To know more about shoulder injuries and treatment or consult one of the best orthopedic surgeons, Dr. Farber, call Phoenix Shoulder and Knee at 480-219-3342 or visit www.phoenixshoulderandknee.com.