This article is an overview of common shoulder injuries in work injury and personal injury cases.
Rotator cuff injuries
The rotator cuff (“R/C”) is a common area of injury involving weakness, tenderness, and pain. The rotator cuff is essentially made up of the shoulder joint. The tendons can slide along an empty sac that surrounds the rotator cuff called the bursa. It is also made up of four muscles that surround the shoulder joint. Below are some of the most common CR injuries.
Tendinitis and impingement syndrome
RC tendinitis is caused by impingement. Pinching refers to the act of being squeezed. The tendons and bursa of the CR can be squeezed when the space between the bone and the CR is narrowed. The result of such impingement is usually tendonitis.
calcific tendonitis
Calcific tendonitis occurs when calcium deposits form in the RC. The formation of calcium deposits in the RC usually causes inflammation of the tendons and bursa. Therefore, calcific tendonitis is essentially inflammation of the tendons and bursa due to calcium deposits in the CR.
Rotator cuff tear
Older people are more susceptible to CR tears because the CR weakens with age. Tears can occur during activities that put pressure on the tendons. It is also possible for a RC to rupture in the absence of degenerative activity.
arthritis
The shoulder joint is one of the many parts of the body that are susceptible to arthritis. Arthritis symptoms include pain and sometimes swelling in the shoulder.
labrum
The labrum is cartilage in the shoulder that works to stabilize the shoulder and facilitate movement. The labrum is essential to allow movement of the arm. Because the shoulder joint is an extremely shallow ball and socket joint, the labrum forms a cup within the joint to hold the arm in place and allow it to move freely.
Labral tear or Bankart lesion.
When a shoulder is dislocated, the labrum is usually torn as the shoulder pops out of the joint. A Bankart lesion is a specific type of tear when a specific area of the labrum known as the glenohumeral ligament is torn.
Treatment of Bankhart injuries varies depending on whether a patient has recurrent shoulder instability. Pain, susceptibility to dislocation, and snagging are the common symptoms of Bankart injuries. Those who experience a Bankart injury are more likely to dislocate their shoulder again in the future.
We’re lawyers, not doctors, but having handled a few thousand of these cases, you get a pretty good understanding of the medicine involved. You also get a good idea of whether or not one of these injuries is accident related or just the typical deterioration of the body over time.