Sports Medicine

An ACL tear is damage to the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). The tear may be partial (the ligament is torn a little) or complete (the ligament is torn into two pieces). A mild injury may stretch the ligament but leave it intact.

The ACL can be injured in several ways. However, an ACL injury commonly occurs during sports involving twisting or overextending your knee. This can happen when you are changing direction rapidly, slowing down when running, or landing from a jump.

The treatment can be surgical or non-surgical and the decision will depend more on your lifestyle than your age. The presence of other knee injuries should also be considered.  (see Surgeries – Arthroscopic ACL reconstruction).

Physical therapy is extremely important in rehabilitation, either after surgery or with conservative treatment. And it must be remembered that the recovery time is long. Talk with your Orthopaedic surgeon, he will guide you through this decision-making process.

It is damage to the meniscus that can be traumatic or degenerative (atraumatic).

Traumatic tears are common among players in sports such as football, basketball, and soccer. The tear frequently occurs during activities involving knee twisting.

Degenerative Meniscal tears are closely related to tissue aging and, in most cases, do not require surgery.

The treatment can be surgical or non-surgical. It will depend on your age, activity level, type of tear, and symptoms. A non-operative treatment program will often focus first on reducing pain and maintaining the full motion of the knee.

Your doctor might recommend rest, ice, and knee elevation.

You may need physiotherapy.

If surgery is required, a knee arthroscopy is most common. (see Surgeries – Meniscus tears)

A rotator cuff tear occurs when a tendon is torn and is partially or completely detached from the humerus bone. The most common symptoms are pain and weakness when lifting or rotating your arm.

For small tears, your surgeon might recommend rest and activity modifications for a variable amount of time. The doctor may also suggest physiotherapy, which can reduce pain and help make your shoulder stronger and more flexible.
You can take anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) like ibuprofen and naproxen to relieve pain and reduce inflammation, but only for short periods of time. Steroid injections may be effective; however, it is not possible to predict how long the effects will last.
Surgery might be indicated for larger tears or if you have continued pain after conservative treatment.

Recovery time may vary for each individual. The most important factors that determine the recovery time are the size of the tear and the patient’s commitment to rehabilitation.
Full recovery time is about 4 to 6 months for small tears, however, for larger tears, a complete recovery may take anywhere from 6 to 12 months.

Labral tears occur when you damage the labrum and are usually caused by trauma or repetitive shoulder motion. When the shoulder dislocates, the labrum in the front of the shoulder almost always tears. You may feel shoulder pain or experience shoulder instability (the feeling that your shoulder is slipping out of place). Some types of labral tears can increase the risk of dislocation.

This will depend on the type of tear and its severity. In many cases, nonsurgical methods are effective in relieving pain. Rest, icing, anti-inflammatory drugs, and physiotherapy are common treatment options.
Surgery may be recommended if conservative treatment is ineffective, or your tear is severe.

Your recovery may take a few months. Your arm and shoulder will be in a sling for approximately 4 weeks. Predicting how soon someone can return to sports after the operation is difficult. Most of the time, people can return after 4 to 6 months. However, for overhead and contact sports it is recommended to wait about 8 to 10 months.

A tear can be partial or complete. Complete tears mean the tendon has torn away from the bone. 

It happens most often in middle-aged people and is usually due to years of wear and tear on the shoulder. Overuse and injury are other common causes.

The treatment can be surgical or conservative (nonsurgical).

Doctors usually treat a ruptured proximal biceps tendon without surgery. For most people, pain from a biceps tendon tear resolves over time.

A feeling of mild weakness in the forearm and a change in the contour (a deformity) of the front of your upper arm (called “Popeye muscle”) are common, but usually well tolerated by patients.

Surgery is reserved for patients who have persistent pain, severe loss of strength or are very concerned with the cosmetic appearance of the “Popeye muscle”.

Your shoulder will be in a sling for about 4 weeks. Physical therapy may be recommended after two or three weeks to regain range of motion and shoulder strength.

Patients can resume daily activities in 3 to 6 weeks, but it usually takes four to six months to recover from a proximal biceps tendon surgery.