“What shoulder injuries require surgery?”
My 19 year old son injured his shoulder when throwing a baseball. I want to know what shoulder injuries require surgery?
5 Answers
Ideally as few as possible. Shoulder dislocation & rotator cuff tear with retraction. I prefer stem cell injections over surgery if possible.
Throwing injuries are almost always chronic injuries, not from 1 throw. Pitchers are notorious for throwing injuries, especially those who concentrate on only 1 sport their whole life. Almost all throwing injuries respond to a rehab program.
More than 1 partial tear and complete tears.
Surgery should always be last resort. Depending on the injury most can be helped with physical therapy.
There are a number of shoulder injuries that may require surgery. Throwing or overhead athletes can be prone to specific injuries mostly related to mechanics and the complexity and involvement of different muscle groups needed for throwing. Some injuries like a "SLAP tear" (superior labrum anterior posterior tear) can be more common in overhead athletes, and depending on the size and physical exam findings, a patient could require surgery to return to their previous level of function. Best to have it fully evaluated by am orthopaedic sports medicine or shoulder specialist.
