Question 1

can supraspinatus intrasubstance tendon tear (7x1x6 mm) heal by itself without surgery? how long may it take for a healthy 62 years old to heal?

Accepted Answer

Unlikely: Partial thickness rotator cuff tears rarely'heal'. They may become less painful occassionally in some patients who are able to 'tolerate' them.However, most progress( esp.in older adults) w/time to small full thickness tears, etc. If u are not improving w/ pt, NSAIDs , etc.consider having an experienced arthroscopist perform repair( intrasubstance or 'taken down' and repair to bone).Pain relief!

Question 2

got an mri today and my report said the following "inflammatory process of the subscapularis tendon and supraspinatus tendon with intrasubstance injury. subacromial bursa fluid in sub deltoid." what does this mean? do i have a tear?

Accepted Answer

No: the report does not specifically state that there is a muscle tear.

Question 3

what does increased intrasubstance in the supraspinatus tendon mean and is it reason for concern?

Accepted Answer

Tendon signal: I assume you mean intrasubstance signal.  The supraspinatus is one of the rotator cuff muscles.  Depending on the degree of signal abnormality, it could mean intrasubstance tear, inflammation, or tendinosis.

Question 4

what is the recovery time for a full thickness supraspinatus tendon tear without significant retraction?

Accepted Answer

: If you mean without surgery -it takes 6-8 weeks to determine where you will land without surgery. With surgery expect 8-12 weeks to get back to your normal.

Question 5

high grade partial thickness bursal surface tear distal junction supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendons?

Accepted Answer

Rotator cuff tear: That is just a fancy way to say you have torn your rotator cuff.  The rotator cuff is a group of four muscles that allow you to move your arm away from your body.  The good thing about your cases is a partial tear can heal, where in a complete tear the ends pull apart and the tear can not heal.  Thank you for the question.

Question 6

is surgery only the option to fix a 6mm linear lesion partial rim rent tear of the supraspinatus tendon?

Accepted Answer

Rotator cuff: For partial tears often physical therapy is effective. Talk to your doctor about a referral to therapy prior to surgery.

Question 7

i have a 9 mm full tear of supraspinatus tendon. in the anterior footplate. is surgery needed? assuming so. anything i should know?

Accepted Answer

Sometimes....: 9mm tear still means that the other half (posterior) of your supraspinatus is intact.  If the pain is minimal and you can avoid overhead activity then you can wait and see if it fully tears before you undergo surgery.  Some would say that eventually it will completely tear so better just to get it over with now.

Question 8

is surgery required when diagnosis says full-thickness tear of supraspinatus tendon is seen? been 4 mos. what's consequence when surgery is not done?

Accepted Answer

Supraspinatus tear: If you want a chance for a full recovery surgery is your best option. Otherwise you will have signficantly reduced function (plus ongiong pain) in that shoulder. If you do opt for surgery. make sure you do it some place where anesthesia will do an interscalene block for post op pain relief. Shoulder surgery is particularly painful after surgery.

Question 9

can a 5mm tendon retraction of a full thickness tear of the anterior and middle portion of the supraspinatus tendon heal with injections and pt?  if not, would pt help before surgery?

Accepted Answer

Opinions: You need to obtain orthopedic surgical consultations as full healing and return to normal is NOT going to occur with injections and PT, but you could also learn to live with this without invasive approaches.  Do fully agree that PT will help before and after surgery.

Question 10

what does a "full thickness tear of the supraspinatus tendon" mean?

Accepted Answer

Rotator Cuff Tear: If you are 31 and have a full thickness tear of your suprspinatous tendon, you have a problem.  The supraspinatous is one of the 4 muscles that make up your rotator cuff.  Tears at your age are unusual, often due to trauma and should generally be repaired with surgery.  See an orthopaedist to get it checked out.

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Doctor answers about:

Intrasubstance tear supraspinatus tendon

A member asked:

Can supraspinatus intrasubstance tendon tear (7x1x6 mm) heal by itself without surgery? how long may it take for a healthy 62 years old to heal?

A member asked:

Got an mri today and my report said the following "inflammatory process of the subscapularis tendon and supraspinatus tendon with intrasubstance injury. subacromial bursa fluid in sub deltoid." what does this mean? do i have a tear?

A member asked:

What does increased intrasubstance in the supraspinatus tendon mean and is it reason for concern?

A member asked:

What is the recovery time for a full thickness supraspinatus tendon tear without significant retraction?

A member asked:

High grade partial thickness bursal surface tear distal junction supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendons?

A member asked:

Is surgery only the option to fix a 6mm linear lesion partial rim rent tear of the supraspinatus tendon?

A member asked:

I have a 9 mm full tear of supraspinatus tendon. in the anterior footplate. is surgery needed? assuming so. anything i should know?

A member asked:

Is surgery required when diagnosis says full-thickness tear of supraspinatus tendon is seen? been 4 mos. what's consequence when surgery is not done?

A member asked:

Can a 5mm tendon retraction of a full thickness tear of the anterior and middle portion of the supraspinatus tendon heal with injections and pt? if not, would pt help before surgery?

A member asked:

What does a "full thickness tear of the supraspinatus tendon" mean?

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