<img class="wp-image-5460" title="Non-Surgical Partial Rotator Cuff Tear Repair" src="https://www.drfields.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Rotator-Cuff.-J-Ortho-Surg-Research-500x425.jpeg" alt="Non-Surgical Partial Rotator Cuff Tear Repair" width="300" height="255" />
<p align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">Have you been told you have a partial rotator cuff tear? Surgery may have also been recommended but you would like to avoid that. So what else can you do? At OrthoRegen</span>®<span lang="en-US">, you have a non-surgical option.</span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">We often see patients in our office who are trying to avoid surgery after a diagnosis of a partial rotator cuff tear. And we would like to help them accomplish their pain relief and restoration of function goals! Once we do a physical examination and take a medical history, we can assess which regenerative treatment will be the most effective at repairing your shoulder from the damage sustained to the rotator cuff.</span></p>

<h2 align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">The Rotator Cuff</span></h2>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">There are four muscles inside of the shoulder that allow us to rotate our arm.</span> <span lang="en-US">These four muscles form a cuff of tendons around the top of the arm or the humeral head. With a the rotator cuff tear, one or more of the tendons of those four rotator cuff muscles of the shoulder are involved</span>.</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">The rotator cuff is designed to move the shoulder joint. When there is a tear, the tendons are weakened and will degenerate, increasing their susceptibility to even more tearing. Rotator cuff tears will create a cycle of instability in the shoulder and set it up for more damage if not treated.</span></p>

<h2 align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">What Is Done for Shoulder Instability from Rotator Cuff Tears? </span></h2>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">Treatment for shoulder instability from tears often involves rotator cuff strengthening exercises, of the four muscles of the shoulder which include the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, and teres minor. They help stabilize the shoulder and assist with movement. </span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">Unfortunately, even though strengthening exercises help strengthen the shoulder muscles,</span> <span lang="en-US">they often do not resolve the underlying problem of shoulder instability. To fix shoulder joint instability, the shoulder tendons, ligaments and shoulder capsular structures must all be strengthened. And that’s where Regenerative Orthopedics comes in!</span></p>

<h2 align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">Regenerative Orthopedics Effectively Repairs Partial Rotator Cuff Tears</span></h2>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">Regenerative Orthopedics, like Prolotherapy, PRP, and Stem Cells,</span> <span lang="en-US">are excellent options for rotator cuff injuries because the treatments involve the repair and the regeneration of soft tissue. Plus, these non-surgical therapies offer repair with a short recovery time.</span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">As a first-line alternative to costly and invasive surgery, Regenerative Orthopedics addresses the root cause of the problem by repairing the tear and the instability. And that leads to a better recovery. </span></p>

<h2 align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">What If Surgery Has Been Recommended?</span></h2>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">A February 2022 paper in the journal </span><span lang="en-US">Orthopedic Research and Reviews</span><span lang="en-US"> discussed the challenges of treating a partial rotator cuff tear. They said: </span>“<span lang="en-US">Partial thickness tears of the rotator cuff are a common cause of shoulder pain and disability. Surgery is confined to those experiencing severe symptoms despite non-operative measures, and for tears involving greater than 50% thickness. A number of surgical strategies have been described, but there is insufficient evidence to advocate one repair technique over another. . . </span>” <span lang="en-US">1</span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">Sure, it’s possible to have a successful shoulder surgery</span>. <span lang="en-US">But why choose surgery when there is an alternative that has a much shorter recovery period? We see many patients who are exploring alternatives to rotator cuff surgery because they would like to get back to work or a sport more quickly, and would prefer to avoid the long post-surgical recovery time. </span></p>

<h2 align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">Is Partial Rotator Cuff Surgery Even Effective?</span></h2>
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<p align="JUSTIFY"><strong><span lang="en-US">The </span><span lang="en-US">American Journal of Sports Medicine </span></strong><span lang="en-US">reports that rotator cuff repair often results in significant pain postoperatively. They studied patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Even a smaller tear area was associated with more frequent and severe pain after repair. </span>P<span lang="en-US">lus, even younger patients who had partial-thickness tears and had occupational injuries experienced more pain postoperatively.2</span></p>
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<p align="JUSTIFY"><strong><span lang="en-US">The </span><span lang="en-US">Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine </span></strong><span lang="en-US">found that </span>“<span lang="en-US">After rotator cuff repair, some patients have ongoing problems significant enough to warrant presentation to a clinic for reassessment.</span>” <span lang="en-US">About 1 in 6 patients had problems after the surgical procedure</span>.<span lang="en-US">3</span></p>
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<h2 align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">The Regenerative Orthopedics Alternative</span></h2>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">Regenerative Orthopedics is the non-surgical alternative that can offer repair without the prolonged recovery time of surgery.</span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">Depending on the injury or degeneration involved, PRP or Stem Cells may be recommended. PRP and Stem Cells accelerate healing by using your own blood platelets and/or stem cells. These are always utilized in conjunction with Dextrose Prolotherapy in order to provide the most comprehensive treatment and repair.</span></p>

<h2 align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">Are Stem Cells and PRP Effective for Rotator Cuff Tears?</span></h2>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">The </span><span lang="en-US">Orthopedic Research and Reviews</span> <span lang="en-US">journal reports, </span>“<span lang="en-US">Stem cell treatment for rotator cuff tears is a promising development because they have been shown to result in an anti-inflammatory response, improved tendon regeneration, optimized collagen fiber arrangement, higher load-to-failure, and higher tensile strength. . . In a non-randomized controlled trial comparing the effects of an exercise regime to PRP combined with bone marrow aspirate (BMAC-PRP complex) on partial rotator cuff tears, the experimental group demonstrated a significantly greater improvement in (pain, function and disability) scores compared to controls at three months. Tear size decreased after BMAC-PRP injection although this did not significantly differ from controls.</span>”<span lang="en-US">1</span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">The </span><span lang="en-US">Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research</span><span lang="en-US"> found a positive benefit of a combined </span><a href="https://www.caringmedical.com/prolotherapy-news/bone-marrow-aspirate-concentrate-prolotherapy/"><span lang="en-US">bone marrow aspirate concentrate</span></a><span lang="en-US"> (stem cell) and </span><a href="https://www.caringmedical.com/what-is-prolotherapy-with-platelet-rich-plasma/">platelet-rich plasma</a><span lang="en-US"> (PRP)</span> <span lang="en-US">BMAC-PRP injection in patients with a partial tear of the rotator cuff tendon.4</span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">The combination of repair with these regenerative treatments promises an excellent chance for a full recovery and full performance. In the event that surgery is truly necessary, Regenerative Orthopedics is also an excellent post-operative treatment to improve tissue strength, stability, and overall recovery. This may be a possibility when a rotator cuff tear has become large enough to produce profound weakness in the shoulder.</span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">Please </span><a href="https://www.drfields.com/contact/"><span lang="en-US">contact us</span></a><span lang="en-US"> at OrthoRegen</span>®<span lang="en-US">, and tell us more about your case to determine if you are a good candidate for Comprehensive Regenerative Orthopedics.</span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><strong><span lang="en-US">References</span></strong></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">1Thangarajah T, Lo IK. Optimal Management of Partial Thickness Rotator Cuff Tears: Clinical Considerations and Practical Management. Orthopedic Research and Reviews. 2022;14:59.</span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">2Yeo, Daniel YT, et al. "The relationship between intraoperative tear dimensions and postoperative pain in 1624 consecutive arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs." </span><span lang="en-US">The American Journal of Sports Medicine</span> 45.4 (2017): 788-793.</p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">3Rizvi SM, Lam P, Murrell GA. Repair Integrity in Patients Returning for an Unscheduled Visit After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: Retorn or Not?. Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine. 2018 May 29;6(6):2325967118775061.</span></p>
<p align="JUSTIFY"><span lang="en-US">4Kim SJ, Kim EK, Kim SJ. Effects of bone marrow aspirate concentrate and platelet-rich plasma on patients with partial tear of the rotator cuff tendon. Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research. 2018 Dec;13(1):1.</span></p>