Rotator Cuff Tear

Benjamin Vicini
SER425: Prevent and Treat Exercise Injuries
Aaron Tuscan
4 May 2020
 Time of Injury:
 Student athlete seeks assistance during a baseball practice
 Description:
 Pain in past when raising arm
 pain within the shoulder
 Felt an intense pain when incident occurred
 Pain when trying to lift arm
 On site diagnosis:
 Palpated site of pain
 Crank Test
 NEGATIVE
 Assisted athlete in lifting arm up
 Drop arm test
 POSITIVE
 Suspected Rotator cuff injury
  Crank Test:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTpejI3FGG4

Examples of
Tests mentioned  Drop arm test:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXgRBeqToik
  Call Orthopedic Surgeon
 Further tests/x-ray
 MRI
 Schedule appointment for athlete
Follow up with  Follow up with athlete
Orthopedic
Surgeon
 Follow up to AT / team physician

 - Informed professional on results

 - Followed up with protocol of recovery
process
 Recovery Plan
- Phase I
Protection and passive ROM (range of motion)
- Phase II
Active motion and gentle stretching
- Phase III
Early strengthening – cuff strengthening
- Phase IV
Advanced strengthening – cuff recovery
Coordination with Orthopedic Surgeon

 Communicate one on one with

surgeon
 Gain understanding on protocol.
 Make adjustments based on progress
 follow through with expectations
  No active motion  Forward and backward shoulder
Phase I: Protection and passive  Passive stretching rolls.

ROM (range of motion)  Pendulum  Supine passive arm elevation

 Shrugs  Hand wrist and forearm.
  Table slides
Phase II: Active  Elevation and abduction

motion and  Assisted front raises / lateral raises

gentle stretching  Very light object (cane)

 ”No Money’s”
 Body weight
 Standing external rotation
 Behind the back internal rotation
 Assisted with opposite arm
Phase III: Early strengthening -
cuff strengthening
 Warm up
 Workout:
 Starting with resistance
bands
 Least – most tension
 Band: external / internal
rotation, elevation and
abduction, standing row,
standing shrugs (light db or
band), retraction / depression
Phase IV: Advanced strengthening –
cuff recovery
 Warm up:
 Workout:
 Dumb bell elevation and
abduction (light – heavy),
lying internal and external
rotation with weight, bent
over row, posterior raise,
band diagonals, band
punches, band
external/internal rotation,
Returning to sport:
 Symptom free
 Rebuilt strength
 Cleared by professional
 Athletes opinion
 Bibliography
 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3325631/
 https://www.matthewboesmd.com/rotator-cuff-repair-rehabilitation/
 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5825345/
 https://www.upmc.com/services/sports-medicine/conditions/rotator-cuff?
 https://www.physiotutors.com/assessment/shoulder-assessment/
 https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/rotator-cuff-injury/diagnosis-tre
atment/drc-20350231
 March 9-16 ppt.