24 Mar Been told that you need surgery to repair your Rotator Cuff Muscle tear

Been told that you need surgery to repair your Rotator Cuff Muscle tear
Wondering if Rotator Cuff Repair surgery is the only option for your shoulder pain

The Rotator Cuff muscles are those muscles that surround the shoulder joint. Their job is to provide the power to lift and rotate the arm. In older adults, the Rotator Cuff muscles become thinner with age and are prone to rupture, sometimes with minimal trauma like lifting a full kettle of water from the kitchen bench. In the younger adults, a Rotator Cuff muscle rupture is usually associated with significant trauma like falling off a bike on an outstretched arm. When the Rotator Cuff tears it usually does so at the junction of the muscle with the tendon, which is the part of the muscle that inserts into the bone.

The success rate for a Rotator Cuff Repair surgery can vary from 34% to 94%. The factors influencing the success rate of surgery are:
1. Age of the patient;
2. Occupation/ leisure activity of the patient;
3. Fatty Tissue Infiltrate in the Rotator Cuff muscle belly;
4. Size of the Rotator Cuff Tear;
5. Length of time the tear was left not repaired;
6. Amount of Rotator Cuff muscle wasting;
7. Amount of Rotator Cuff muscle retraction from the tendon; and
8. The surgical repair method.

In general, if you are older than 60 years old, with a higher fatty tissue infiltrate in the muscles and more muscle wasting, the success rate of surgery is reduced. The more labour intensive your occupation or leisure activity is, the more likely you are to re-tear the Rotator Cuff muscle after a repair surgery.

The main purpose of Rotator Cuff Repair surgery is to reduce pain and to increase function in the shoulder joint. Studies have shown that Physiotherapy gives a 94% success rate of recovery following a Rotator Cuff Muscle tear in adults older than 60 years old. Success being defined as being pain free and having functional range of motion in their shoulder joint.

So if you are experiencing shoulder pain and loss of shoulder movement, ring My Favourite Physio on (02) 9790 4233 or DM us @myfavouritephysio to find out how we can help you overcome your shoulder pain today!