Rotator cuff or supraspinatus tendon
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What is the rotator cuff?
The rotator cuff is a group of four tendons that surround the humeral head like a cap.
The supraspinatus tendon is the top that slides under the acromion and is injured more often. The subacromial bursa is a sac of soft tissue synovial fluid. This bursa serves to improve the sliding of the tendon below the acromion raising the bow arm.
How is a rotator cuff tear occurs?
A break can occur as a result of a traumatic episode or develop gradually. Patients whose onset is gradual usually have previous symptoms of tendinitis by clamping. The tendon degeneration caused by age also causes breakage.
Such ruptures can be partial (not completely divide the tendon) and total (with full section of the tendon). The total breaks may be small and affect only a tendon, or very broad covering several tendons.
What symptoms caused by the rupture of the supraspinatus tendon?
Symptoms vary widely and depend on the type of break. If the tear is extensive, the patient will have pain and inability to raise the arm. In other breaks, the patient will have pain, some crunch and reduced its strength, but it can lift the arm without difficulty. In some elderly patients, tendon rupture will not cause symptoms and the patient does not know who suffers a break in this area.
As far as diagnosis is concerned, this is clinical. However, in most cases it can be confirmed by ultrasound or MRI
How supraspinatus tendon ruptures treated?
Given the existence of very different situations you will require individualized treatment depending on the patient's needs and the type of fracture.
A greater and inactive patient will recommend conservative treatment similar to tendinitis. It is also possible that this person has a severe loss of the rotator cuff, inability to raise the arm, and that does not improve with conservative treatment. In this case, the professionals in Traumatology will advise placing inverted total shoulder prosthesis. If the case of a young and active patient with a traumatic rupture occurs, this will require a repair urgently. Intervention should be specified so arthroscopic making small incisions.
