Sports Medicine:
Shoulder
Shoulder Specialists You Can Lean On
Your shoulder is the most movable joint in the body, responsible for fastballs, free throws, hard work and home cooking. As a result, trauma or long-term wear can cause pain and lack of mobility that hinders your peak performance or puts you on the sideline completely. It’s our passion to make sure your function is restored.
Orthopaedics East & Sports Medicine Center specializes in treatments designed to keep you on the field, doing what you love. Our practice has treated thousands of shoulder issues and provided comprehensive treatment plans for athletes at every level — gaining us a hard-earned reputation for results. We have extensive experience and significant expertise in both non-surgical and surgical options to relieve your pain and restore your functionality.
A tear of one or more of the rotator cuff tendons. Most tears occur in the supraspinatus tendon, but other parts of the rotator cuff may also be involved. Tears can be partial or full, and can occur from an acute injury or over time from repetitive stress/strain, bone spurs or a lack of blood supply.
This develops when the shoulder capsule thickens and bands of tissue develop, resulting in the shoulder becoming stiff and tight. Frozen shoulder occurs in three phases: freezing, frozen, and thawing. It typically can be treated non-operatively with physical therapy but occasionally requires an arthroscopic capsular release.
Labral Tears
The head of the upper arm bone (humeral head) rests in a shallow socket in the shoulder blade called the glenoid. The socket is surrounded by a soft fibrous tissue rim called the labrum, which deepens the socket by up to 50% and helps stabilize the joint. Sometimes the labrum can be torn due to an acute injury or repetitive stress/strain.
- A Bankart lesion is a labral tear of the rim below the middle of the glenoid socket that also involves the inferior glenohumeral ligament.
- A SLAP lesion is a labral tear of the rim above the middle of the socket and may also involve the bicep tendon.
Sprains & Fractures
Shoulder sprains and fractures are common. A sprain is a stretch and/or tear of a ligament that connects the end of one bone with another. A common type of shoulder sprain is in the AC joint, where the bony point at the top of the shoulder blade (acromion) meets the collarbone. Common shoulder fractures include those to the clavicle (collarbone), proximal humerus, and scapula (shoulder blade). Treatments extend from rest and icing to bracing, physical therapy and, in extreme cases, surgery.
Schedule an appointment today with one of Eastern North Carolina’s leading orthopedic and sports medicine physicians!
