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Rotator cuff is probably a term you have heard, but understanding it is a completely different story. The rotator cuff is actually made up of four tendons in your shoulder joint. These tendons extend from muscles primarily located on the outer side of your shoulder blades extending their tendons towards the shoulder joint. Its main purpose is stabilizing the shoulder during movement and even at rest. Because of the location of the muscles, these tendons are long and have to pass the different structures in and around the shoulders. This makes them vulnerable to injuries, which can cause your shoulders to be painful or even unstable.

Rotator cuff injuries

Tendons are extensions of our muscles which attach them to bones. They are made of some of the most elastic yet also one of the toughest materials in our bodies. This construction makes them very useful in holding together certain joints, and as mentioned earlier, the shoulder joint. The shoulder joint is actually similar to a ball and socket wherein the socket is really very shallow. This gives the shoulder a very high degree of mobility, and enables it to move in many different directions. Unfortunately, this mobility can also be the cause of injuries to the capsule surrounding the shoulder joint itself, and to the rotator cuff.

The rotator cuff can be injured in a variety of ways. Being elastic, it can become stretched over and over again by recurrent injuries and may become loose. This happens when we repeatedly dislocate our shoulder, elongating the tendon and making the joint unstable, thus causing more dislocations. In addition, due to the length of the tendons of the rotator cuff, they tend to hit other structures of the shoulders. With over use, this causes inflammation and pain.

Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair

Orthopedic doctors can prescribe exercises and medications to manage this problem but more often than not, arthroscopic rotator cuff repair surgery is indicated. Shoulder surgery can repair your rotator cuff. Orthopedic surgeons can shorten the tendons if they are overstretched, fix inflamed tendons and reform those structures that cause injuries to the rotator cuff. These surgeries can be done in a less invasive way than open surgery, using arthroscopy. The orthopedic surgeons at Randolph Orthopedics and Sports Medicine in Asheboro NC offer arthroscopic repair of the rotator cuff.

In arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, orthopedic surgeons use fiber optic scopes to see the inside of the joint to quickly assess the rotator cuff damage.  With the use of optic scopes, they repair the damage in the rotator cuff with just a few puncture holes instead of the oftentimes big and ugly incision used in traditional surgery techniques. Because it is minimally invasive, there is little to no trauma to surrounding structures, which translates to fewer complications, better shoulder rehabilitation, and quicker recovery time.

Shoulder rehabilitation

At Randolph Orthopedics and Sports Medicine, the team of orthopedic doctors also works with a complementary team of shoulder rehabilitation professionals who are responsible for your earliest return to normal function. The therapists at The Human Motion Institute in Randolph NC will work closely and as a team with your orthopedic doctors, thus assuring a smooth recovery process. At Randolph Orthopedics, you get expert care from a highly trained team of doctors, nurses and therapist, all coordinated for your best rotator cuff care in Asheboro NC.