Torn rotator cuff info

[nikki]

Well my life has been a saga since a nasty wreck 15 days ago... full story HERE but to sum it up... I got clipped in the air and landed on my shoulder. The ER diagnosed a broken humerous by my elbow but my ortho said no break the next day. Now after a few weeks of therapy, all signs are pointing to a torn rotator cuff. I can't lift my arm on my own out in front or to the side by more than a few inches, I have crap for range of shoulder motion, laying on my good side I can't lift my bad shoulder/arm at all, but I have decent passive motion (if someone else lifts my arm).

I have a MRI scheduled for Wednesday morning to find out the damage and what's next. So who's been here before and how have things turned out? I'm hearing there can be major surgery (where they cut through muscle/tendons) and may take 6-8 months to recover. I'm also hearing about smaller scale surgery using a little tv type camera that requires less healing time.

What can I look out for, what can I expect, what advice do you have? Thanks for any and all help... these next few months are gonna be rough :ugg:

 

[James]

We had a discussion of sorts on this here

http://dirtrider.net/forums3/showthread.php?threadid=72174

There is a link to some rotator cuff info in the lower half of the thread.

Sorry to hear!!!!

 

[WaltCMoto]

Hope its not that, but hope they find an answer on wednesday. Oldguy had the big deal surgery, but hes old so his recovery may have been longer than a youngin like yourself.

 

[lisa'sxr4]

Sorry to hear of your injury. Hope you heal quickly.
I had orthroscopic rotator cuff surgery in 93/94. Three tiny scars - no less an 4 wks recovery (had carpal tunnel surgery at the same time) Best of luck to you - hope that the orthroscopic route is available to you.

 

[txvintage]

Hi Nikki,

Sorry to hear about diagnosis.  Have you given up reaching into the fridge yet?  I remember the near death experiences well......Did they ask you to turn your palm down and place it beneath your hip for the MRI?  I swear, if I ever see that %^&*er in a cross walk he's doomed.........

Your recovery will be determined with what they find in realtion to the extent of the tear, or tears.  If you have to have a "full" shoulder where they open you up, your talking about a year of recovery, and maybe a little longer until you regain what strength and mobility is there to be had.  If it can be done with a scope, your 6-8 month time table is about right. 

It will be two years since my surgery come this Memorial Day weekend.  I had two R/C tears, along with the Labral Collar tear.  I also had to have my AC joint Roto Rootered to relieve some impingment of the soft tissue and clean up some arthritis.

It was about nine months of recovery for me, and about a year before I felt I had regained all of the strength I was going to get.  Two years later and I can only reach about a third of the way up my back with my hand behind me.  The rest of my motion range seems fine.

In all honesty. nothing about this is pleasant.  I've had foot surgery to pin a toe back together (tree roots are evil), three knee surgeries, and two back surgeries that have left two titanium cages in my lower spine.  I decided to hell with getting my left shoulder done after having lived through the right one. 

A couple of things to consider about my personal experinces though.  One, I was 38 and played baseball through my Sophmore year of college, and then years of high level softball tournament play.  My shoulder was probably used up before I woke up with the paramedics standing over me at the bottom of the jump...... :confused:   Being younger and with hopefully less wear and tear yours will heal quicker and will have more motion.  With mine it was hard to turn a swamp into a rose garden, as my sports ortho says.

The best advice I can offer is to be religous with your therapy and excercises after the surgery.  If your therapist wants you to use the Pulley thingy where you use your good arm to try and raise your bad one over your head, I'll send you mine for as long as you need it.  They are such a simple device, but not covered by insurance and they violate you with the price.

Best of luck with everything,

Tony

 

[fishhead]

Sorry to hear that, I tore mine about 16 years ago and I'm happy to say they have made a lot of improvments in the way they treat the injury in the last 15 years. A lot will depend on your age; younger is better, your basic physical condition; more is better, and your determination and self discipline.

They can be slow healers. Take enough time to let it heal and avoid the urge to push through the pain on this one. The tears can be repaired or heal but you might have some longer term discomfort from an impingement. Don't get too discouraged if it takes longer than you think it should. I remeber asking the doctors for the long term prognosis on my preferred activties and they looked at each other and asked me if I had any other interests, I said "well fishing" and they said "you will be able to do a lot of fishing before you can do those things again, if ever". I was dazed, but I went back on a 6 month and 1 year follow up and they could not believe the degree I had recovered.

It won't likely spell an end to riding but it will slow you down a bit for a while.

 

[vern#19]

I went to UW sports med clinic I had an RC torn 100% and 2 other bad tears in the same area ,they smoothed and grooved the cup all through four little inceisions. That on Oct.14 02 my first ride back was 01-10-03 I had been getting stroger by the day then.... I crashed broke my foot bad and collar bone too. My advise is research the BEST doctor you can find travel if you mustit is well worth it.