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SHOULDER INJURIES

Shoulder injuries and treatments

SHOULDER INJURIES

Shoulder injuries and treatments

Shoulder injuries – including dislocation and subtle instability – are often associated with direct trauma in sports such as rugby and judo. More subtle presentations may arise from repetitive overload, for example from gym training and weightlifting.

Keyhole surgery can produce remarkable results, restoring shoulder function rapidly. Our unique early mobilisation programme can ensure a good range of movement within two weeks, allowing patients to return to everyday activities such as driving. Twelve weeks is usually sufficient for full contact sport, as demonstrated by some of our elite contact athletes.

Shoulder Injuries we care for include

Keyhole surgery for

Frozen Shoulder - treated with keyhole surgical release

Painful arc / shoulder impingement - treated with decompression

Calcium deposits in the shoulder - treated with decompression and removal

Rotator cuff tendon tears - repaired using keyhole surgery

Shoulder dislocation and instability - unstable or weak shoulder joints

SLAP tears - subtle instability common in sport and often undiagnosed

Biceps tendon injuries and repair

AC joint arthritis

AC joint dislocation

Arthritic loose bodies

Bursitis and tendonitis

Frozen Shoulder - treated with keyhole surgical release

Painful arc / shoulder impingement - treated with decompression

Calcium deposits in the shoulder - treated with decompression and removal

Rotator cuff tendon tears - repaired using keyhole surgery

Shoulder dislocation and instability - unstable or weak shoulder joints

SLAP tears - subtle instability common in sport and often undiagnosed

Biceps tendon injuries and repair

AC joint arthritis

AC joint dislocation

Arthritic loose bodies

Bursitis and tendonitis

HOW WE CAN HELP YOU RECOVER FROM SHOULDER INJURY

Shoulder surgery options

FROZEN SHOULDER
(ADHESIVE CAPSULITIS)

Also known as adhesive capsulitis, frozen shoulder is a painful and degenerative condition characterised by stiffness and pain in the shoulder joint.

This occurs when the capsule of connective tissue around the shoulder joint thickens, creating adhesions, and restricts movement. It is prevalent in women over 40, and also more widespread in diabetics, stroke victims, or those recovering from an injury which has immobilised the arm for a significant period (such as a damaged rotator cuff or broken arm). The symptoms and effects of frozen shoulder generally get progressively more acute until the condition resolves itself, which usually happens between one and three years after first manifestation. It is usually treated with painkillers, physiotherapy or corticosteroids and numbing medications injected into the joint capsule, but in some cases the best treatment is arthroscopic surgery to loosen the joint capsule to enable free movement. This involves using pencil-sized instruments inserted through small incisions in your shoulder, then cutting through tight portions of the joint capsule

AC JOINT RECONSTRUCTION

Dislocation of the AC joint (acromio-clavicular joint) is a high energy injury which tears the strong ligaments holding your collar bone in place.

Instability weakens the shoulder and the collar bone can be seen sticking up under your clothing. Early repair affords the best results which is enhanced by early mobilisation if at all possible. The InternalBrace helps to strengthen repair and reconstruction and supports during early mobilisation. The InternalBrace addresses both superior instability (the piano key deformity) and front to back looseness which can be irritating.
Even long standing deformities can be managed more effectively with the support of the InternalBrace.

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SHOULDER INSTABILITY AND DISLOCATION

The shoulder, which is made up of your upper arm bone (humerus), shoulder blade (scapula), and collarbone (clavicle) is the most moveable joint in your body.

However, its wide range of motion can cause instability if the head of the upper arm bone is forced out of the shoulder socket, usually as a result of high-impact collisions of the sort often seen in contact sports or the sort of repetitive strain common in tennis, swimming and gym work. Once dislocated, if the ligaments, tendons and muscles around the shoulder become loose or torn, the shoulder is liable to dislocate again, which can easily degenerate into chronic shoulder instability, where the shoulder repeatedly dislocates, either partially (a subluxation) or completely. If surgery is required to repair torn or stretched ligaments, an arthroscopy is a quick and minimally invasive procedure. If the instability is sufficiently acute, an InternalBrace can be fitted to ensure ongoing stability in the shoulder

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CLAVICULAR FRACTURE FIXATION

A fractured collarbone is a common presentation added to by the recent surge in enthusiasm for cycling. It can often be managed conservatively

with support but more complex injuries, and those that fail to heal may require surgical assessment.

Go to InternalBrace for Shoulder page

PODCAST

TENNIS/GOLFERS ELBOW

Like golfers elbow is an over use injury resulting in an inflamtion tenderness at the site of tendon attachment to bone just above the elbow.

Often managed conservatively, severe cases can benefit from platelet rich plasma (PRP) injections or steroid. Chronic resistant cases can require surgery but this is usually reserved for Tennis elbow on the extensor aspect (outside) of elbow next to the bony prominence (epicondyle)

UCL REPAIR/ELBOW INSTABILITY

The supporting ligament on the inside of the elbow is called the ulnar collateral ligament (UCL).

Disruption of the UCL causes instability and weakness as the joint can open like a hinge. The InternalBrace has transformed care allowing the direct repair of the injured ligament and early mobilisation. This more than halves recovery time and return to sport or work. This new approaches is currently in most demand in the US for the treatment of baseball pitchers.

SUBACROMIAL DECOMPRESSION (SAD)

Impingement is a shoulder pain precipitated by above shoulder activities

resulting in a classic painful arc. The pain is due to the nipping of soft tissues under the bony prominence of the shoulder (Acromion). Pain is usually referred to the badge area on the outer aspect of the upper arm and can be associated with muscle inhibition and weakness. Physiotherapy plus injection can be adequate but more resistant cases can result in tendon damage or even a tear and is best managed by a keyhole procedure to decompress and provide more space for tendon movement. Imaging can exclude other pathologies which can contribute to this presentation such as calcium deposits in the tendon or early frozen shoulder.

After surgery no sling is usually required, early mobilisation encouraged and patient can usually return to work or driving within 7-14 days

DISTAL BICEPS REPAIR

Distal biceps rupture is often seen in power sports and can be a devastating injury.

The avulsion often comes from bone and is close to the neuro-vascular structures (nerves and vessels) of the elbow. Open surgical exploration can result not only in nerve injury but the risk of infection, and scarring resulting in elbow stiffness.

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Internal Brace Shoulder Surgery

RETURN TO ACTIVITY QUICKLY

Early mobilisation and accelerated recovery is possible when shoulder ligament repairs or reconstructions are protected with an InternalBrace

Go to Shoulder InternalBrace page

MINIMISES JOINT DISRUPTION

For most, the InternalBrace reduces pain and improves function minimising the disruption caused by surgery

InternalBrace for the Shoulder

MINIMISES JOINT DISRUPTION

For most, the InternalBrace reduces pain and improves function minimising the disruption caused by surgery

RETURN TO ACTIVITY QUICKLY

Early mobilisation and accelerated recovery is possible when shoulder ligament repairs or reconstructions are protected with an InternalBrace

Shoulder InternalBrace page

“Just updating and thanking. Following an ACL revision I just wanted to inform you that I have just completed a week of skiing (7 hrs per day) with absolutely no issues.
Knee felt great throughout and I am very grateful."

Gordon MacDougall

“I have just spent a wonderful week skiiing in Italy – you may recall I had a cruciate ligament operation at the end of May 2014. Thanks to your expertise and skill I am back playing tennis and have just skied for 8 days with absolutely no aches or pains’”

Diana Adam

“Professor Mackay performed a shoulder stabilisation after I fell from a horse and suffered a posterior fracture dislocation - I am now back riding and show jumping again so thanks to you and your team ”

Henrietta Forrest

Watch some of our patient videos

These videos feature a mixture of both elite sports men and women and ordinary active people who have undergone shoulder surgery, some with InternalBracing - here are their stories....

Watch more patient videos

Frequently Asked Questions about shoulder surgery

WILL I BE IN A SLING FOLLOWING INTERNALBRACE SHOULDER SURGERY?

ON AVERAGE HOW SOON WILL I BE ABLE TO RETURN TO WORK FOLLOWING IB SHOULDER SURGERY?

ON AVERAGE HOW SOON WILL I BE ABLE TO DRIVE FOLLOWING IB SHOULDER SURGERY?

IF YOU THINK WE COULD HELP YOU

Then please get in touch - we would love to help