Sports Medicine in New Jersey: Shoulder Injuries

Sports Medicine is branch of orthopaedics concerned with the treatment, diagnosis, and prevention of injuries related to athletic activities. Sports injuries can occur due to overuse, overexertion or hyperextension of ligaments and cartilage in the joint, as well as traumatic impact or collisions. Sports injuries can occur to any joint in the body; however, the majority of them tend to occur at the hip, knee and ankle.

Common sports injuries of the shoulder include:

• Rotator cuff tears
• Labral tears
• Shoulder dislocation

Shoulder Pain & Injuries

The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint made up of the humerus and the glenoid. The humeral head acts at the "ball" and fits snuggly within the glenoid, a cavity located in the scapula. A network of tissue, cartilage, and muscle both support and give strength to the shoulder joint, and allow the arm to extend and rotate freely. These support structures include the labrum, the rotator cuff, and the bursae. If any of these structures are damaged, pain and inflammation occur, as well as stiffness and loss of range of motion.

Shoulder Injury: Rotator Cuff Tear & Treatment

The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles – the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subcapularis. The rotator cuff attaches to the glenoid and helps maintain shoulder stability. Additionally, the rotator cuff allows the shoulder joint to raise the arm and rotate it over a wide range.

Damaging the rotator cuff is one of the most common ways of sustaining a shoulder injury, and is typically damaged through repetitive overhead motions over a long period of time. While damage to the rotator cuff is most often associated with sports such as baseball or tennis, it is possible to damage the rotator cuff during routine daily activities such as grabbing an object from overhead.

Ideally, rotator cuff injuries are treated conservatively, using noninvasive means such as medication, physical therapy, and RICE (Rest, Ice, Compression, and Elevation). If surgery is indicated, orthopaedists often opt for arthroscopic shoulder repair, as it affords for numerous minimally invasive benefits.

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