Could artificial muscles be an answer for chronic rotator cuff tears?

 Could artificial muscles be an answer for chronic rotator cuff tears?  This is a question that I couldn't help but ask myself while reading this fascinating article.  The rotator cuff is a collection of 4 muscles and tendons that allow us to raise our arms.  As many know, chronic (old) rotator tears are a very difficult problem to treat and can lead to severe disability in patients.

Shoulder specialists have been trying for years to determine the optimum treatment for chronic rotator cuff tears.  Our current treatment for old rotator cuff tears is evolving and may include a simple "clean out" of the joint, placing a graft where the rotator cuff tendon was (a superior capsule reconstruction) or a reverse shoulder replacement.  No one solution achieves return to full function due to the fact that rotator muscles atrophy and are no longer functional.

Artificial muscles may allow us the ability to transplant and replace the atrophied rotator cuff muscles and regain significant function.  Although this research is very exciting, I would be remiss to say that this artificial muscle research is still in it's infancy and has not, to my knowledge, been proposed for use in shoulder surgery, so stay tuned.  

I will continue to research this and other treatments and devices here and on my upcoming website the orthopedicfuturist.com.

Arthroscopic surgical treatment of medial epicondylitis

Medial epicondylitis, also known as golfer’s elbow, is a painful condition on the inside of the elbow that is usually treated with nonoperative treatments such as refraining from doing activities that cause pain, physical therapy, and bracing.  On occasion, these treatments fail to completely relieve the elbow pain and surgical treatment is recommended.  Historically, the surgical treatment for medial epicondylitis has been open surgical debridement.  Over the last few years, however, a push has been made to determine if minimally invasive, arthroscopic treatment is safe and effective.  I recently reviewed a new article in the Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery discussing the arthroscopic treatment of medial epicondylitis.   In this small study of seven patients, the functional outcome scores and pain were noted to be significantly less after arthroscopic surgical treatment with no significant complications.  Although a small study, I believe that this study does provide some indication that when done properly, arthroscopic surgical treatment may be an option for certain patients with medial epicondylitis that have failed to improve with nonoperative treatment.  As someone who does a lot of elbow arthroscopy, this article is encouraging and may help me better treat my patients with this painful condition.

Tennis Elbow pain - What are my options?

If you’re like 50 percent of American adults, you’ve experienced elbow pain. For some, it’s a dull ache on the outside of the elbow, but for others, it makes everyday tasks into ordeals. When you have severe elbow pain, even lifting your arm to drink coffee or gripping a shopping bag can be incredibly painful.

More likely than not, you’re suffering from a condition called tennis elbow. You’re not alone. In fact, tennis elbow is so common that it is sometimes referred to as a rite of passage to middle age. Don’t be misled by the name—only a small percentage of people diagnosed with tennis elbow actually get it from playing tennis. Instead, tennis elbow is an overuse injury caused by repetitive stresses to the elbow, which can come from any number of activities, from hammering to lifting heavy boxes.

In more than 90 percent of cases, tennis elbow can be treated with a structured home therapy program or physical therapy. However, for a small percentage of people, the pain will persist. If your pain lasts more than six months, it’s time to consider other options. Luckily, there are a variety of treatments available, both surgical and nonsurgical. Of these options, minimally invasive arthroscopic surgery is one of the most effective.

Arthroscopic surgery involves less damage to the healthy tissue and a faster return to your everyday activities.

You can go home the same day, and you can go back to using your elbow again within days in some cases.

Not all surgeons are trained to treat tennis elbow through arthroscopic surgery. If you are struggling with elbow pain, please reach out to us! We will discuss your treatment options, both surgical and nonsurgical. Relief is closer than you might think.