Shoulder Surgery Specialist

Why is my shoulder susceptible to injury?

Your shoulder’s ball-and-socket joint is designed to let you rotate your arm in a full circle. This range of motion is only supported by a group of muscles and tendons called the rotator cuff.

The shoulder also includes a second joint, the acromioclavicular (AC) joint, which is where the clavicle (collarbone) meets the scapula (shoulder blade).

Extreme mobility combined with the amount of stress and pressure placed on the shoulder make it susceptible to acute injuries, repetitive stress injuries, and degeneration.

A few of the most common shoulder problems include:

• Rotator cuff tear
• AC joint separation
• Tendon rupture
• Dislocation and instability
• Impingement syndrome
• Frozen shoulder
• Osteoarthritis
• Tendonitis

The doctors at Restore Orthopedics also treat many shoulder fractures.

How are shoulder injuries treated?

Your doctor at Restore Orthopedics and Spine Center begins with conservative treatment, which may include:

• Temporarily modifying your activities
• Joint injections to reduce inflammation and pain
• Physical therapy to reduce inflammation and improve strength and mobility
• Regenerative medicine, such as platelet-rich plasma injections

If your injury is severe, or if you still have pain, limited motion, or shoulder instability after conservative therapy, your doctor may recommend surgery.

What types of shoulder surgery are performed?

The doctors at Restore Orthopedics and Spine Center are skilled at performing both arthroscopic and open shoulder surgery.

Arthroscopic shoulder surgery

Arthroscopic surgery is used whenever possible. During this type of minimally invasive procedure, your doctor inserts specialized surgical tools through two to four small incisions.

Several small incisions cause less trauma than traditional open surgery. As a result, you have less bleeding, less postoperative pain, and your recovery is quicker than with open surgery.

Arthroscopic shoulder surgery can be used to treat:

• Rotator cuff tendon tears, including revision repair for failed rotator cuff repair
• Rotator cuff tendon impingement and bursitis
• Rotator cuff calcium deposits (calcific tendinitis)
• Shoulder instability (dislocations) and labral tears
• Shoulder joint arthritis and loose bodies
• Shoulder joint stiffness (frozen shoulder/adhesive capsulitis)
• Acromioclavicular (AC) joint arthritis and pain
• Biceps tendonitis and tears
• Complications resulting from prior shoulder surgery

Open shoulder surgery

Some shoulder conditions, however, require the traditional approach of open surgery, which uses one large incision.

Open shoulder surgery is often used for:

• Total shoulder arthroplasty (total joint replacement)
• Partial shoulder replacement (hemiarthroplasty)
• Shoulder instability with bone loss or for failed arthroscopic repair
• AC joint separation/dislocation
• Proximal humerus fractures
• Clavicle fractures
• Muscle transfers for irreparable rotator cuff tear
• Pectoralis major muscle ruptures
• Acute proximal biceps ruptures

Your doctor explains which type of surgery is best for your shoulder problem.

Don’t continue to suffer from shoulder pain, call Restore Orthopedics and Spine Center or book an appointment online.