03/19/2022
This is how the surgical incision looks like for an open repair for rotator cuff. Usually the patient has sustained a full thicknees tear. There are 4 rotator muscles known as the SITS muscles. Supraspinatis, infraspinatis, teres minor, and the subscapularis. The supraspintis is the most commonly ruptured rotator cuff which performs abduction of the shoulder. Rehab for a total rotator cuff repair can take at least 3 months at the minimum and usually up to 6 months or longer due to several factors. The patients age, underlying medical conditions such as diabetes and the patients motivation to comply with the orthopedic doctor orders to attend therapy. I also tell the patients that have this lovely incision to go to their local tattoo artist once the incision has healed and get a centipede tattooed 😀 . The only decision they have to make is where they want the head. The staples are the centipedes feet.
