Dr. Banarji B.H., the senior Orthopaedic surgeon at Dr. Banarji Shoulder Center in Bengaluru talks about neglected rotator cuff tears and the need to raise awareness among people regarding the problems associated with it.

The rotator cuff comprises muscles and tendons in the shoulder joint that keeps the arm attached to the shoulder socket. Any injury to these tendons is known as a rotator cuff tear and it can result in pain and difficulty in shoulder movement. In most cases, these rotator cuff tears tend to be of lower grades and are easily treatable. However, if these minor injuries are not taken care of immediately, they can increase in severity causing complete tearing of tendons. Such cases where a low-grade rotator cuff tear becomes a high-grade tear due to negligence are known as neglected rotator cuff tears.

There are many reasons for neglected rotator cuff tears. One of the primary reasons for this is misdiagnosis, where a rotator cuff tear is wrongly diagnosed as frozen shoulder or muscular pain. “A physician should take a decision regarding the mode of treatment only after identifying the underlying pathology. There is no role for blind trial and error methods without defining the depth of the problem in the treatment of rotator cuff tear,” says Dr. Banarji.

According to Dr. Banarji, the second major reason for the progression of lower-grade injuries to neglected rotator cuff tears is self-medication or self-treatment. “People follow a lot of advice that they see on YouTube and Facebook and much of this may not even have sufficient scientific justification,” says Dr. Banarji. These include yoga postures, meal plans, natural remedies, and more. While some of them might be effective for minor conditions like muscle spasms, these will usually end up aggravating conditions like a torn rotator cuff. 

The third reason for the development of neglected rotator cuff tears is fear of surgery. “Some people have this irrational fear of surgery while others are misinformed that surgery will cause permanent damage to their shoulder joint. This is not true,” says Dr. Banarji. The reality is that surgery for a rotator cuff tear is a simple procedure. Patients are discharged the next day and your orthopedic surgeon will always encourage shoulder activity immediately to improve healing and movement.

Ignoring the symptoms of a torn rotator cuff leads to serious, complex problems. Small rotator cuff tears can be treated with medication and physiotherapy. Full tears are easily treatable with simple arthroscopic surgery when diagnosed immediately. However, a neglected rotator cuff tear is irreparable as it causes adhesions and fibrosis making arthroscopic repair impossible. Some of these cases will require reconstruction of the rotator cuff using synthetic grafts or grafts from other body sites such as the fascia lata of the thigh. In some cases, the neglected rotator cuff can become arthritic which will need shoulder replacement surgery or reverse shoulder replacement surgery. 

Neglecting the symptoms of a torn rotator cuff not only increases your pain and suffering but also increases the cost and complexity of treatment. “If you have any pain in your shoulder or difficulty moving your arms, see an orthopedic surgeon for proper diagnosis and prompt treatment. Delaying your treatment will cause irreparable damage to your shoulder joints resulting in a neglected rotator cuff tear, advises Dr. Banarji.

CONTACT US 

Dr. Banarji Shoulder Center

3/4, 8th Main (Water Tank Road), CHBS Layout, Vijayanagar, Bangalore - 560 040.
Emergency: 9731274396

Appointment Mob:7760659606,  +91 78297 23606

Email:drbanarji@orthobangalore.com