“Do you need surgery for torn ligaments in the shoulder?”
I am a 49 year old male. I have torn ligaments in my shoulder. Do you need surgery for torn ligaments in the shoulder?
8 Answers
OrthopaedicSurgeonOrthopaedicSurgeon
Yes, if it is more than 1 partial tear or a complete tear.
Usually not.
You may if your shoulder cannot be stabilized to handle everyday demands or sports activity with well structured rehab program.
It is very rare that you would tear ligaments in your shoulder, so most likely you are referring to torn tendons. Torn tendon in the shoulder cannot heal on their own for mechanical reasons and have to be fixed surgically. So yes, you need surgery for torn tendons in the shoulder.
Physical therapy can be tried first.
The answer is that it depends on the ligament torn and the degree of tear. More commonly you tear the rotator cuff in the shoulder which is a tendon. In all cases, treatment depends on symptoms that the injury causes. Consultation with an orthopedic surgeon should get you headed in the right direction.
Good luck,
Dr. Louden
Good luck,
Dr. Louden
If torn ligaments cause instability, yes. Some lay people refer to the rotator cuff as ligaments. They are tendons. If the rotator cuff is torn, you do need surgery.
Usually you may need an operation if the physical therapy fails to stabilize your shoulder.
