Rupture of the rotator cuff
This is a common pathology, in which one or more of the rotator cuff tendons break from the humeral head. It may be of a degenerative nature, due to the wearing on the tendon itself, or it can also be of a traumatic nature (due to sports accidents or falls).
The suggestive and typical clinical condition is shoulder pain, which radiates to the arm, and often night pain that prevents restful sleep. It may also be associated with a lack of strength in the arm and shoulder. Ruptures of traumatic nature are usually treated surgically. In the case of degenerative rupture, the initial treatment is almost always more conservative, in which a protocol of shoulder reeducation is usually advisable.
Arthroscopic repair of rotator cuff tears
Procedure: The surgeon starts by making small incisions called portals, through which the camera and the required instruments are inserted. The rupture is identified and all the devitalized tissue is cleaned out. A tenodesis usually performed on the long head of the bicep’s tendon. The strings are passed on the ruptured tendon and later fixed with anchors on the side of the humerus in order to reconstitute its anatomical position.