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Conditions · Shoulder

More shoulder conditions

AC Joint Injury

A bump on top of the shoulder after a fall on it.

Biceps Tendon Injury

Pain at the front of the shoulder that follows the biceps.

Shoulder Bursitis

Aching on the outside of the shoulder, worse at night.

Shoulder Fractures

A broken collarbone or upper arm after a fall.

Shoulder Cartilage Injury

Catching and grinding in a shoulder that was injured.

Throwing Injuries

A thrower who has lost velocity and gained pain.

Shoulder · Shoulder and Sports Medicine

Rotator Cuff Tear

A tear in one of the four tendons that hold the shoulder in its socket and lift the arm. Common after fifty, and after a fall or hard pull at any age.

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Shoulder · Shoulder and Sports Medicine

Shoulder Impingement

Pinching of the rotator cuff and bursa between the ball of the shoulder and the bony roof above it, causing pain with reaching and overhead activity.

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Shoulder · Shoulder and Sports Medicine

Shoulder Instability

A shoulder that dislocates or slips partly out of the socket, usually after a first dislocation stretched the ligaments and tore the labrum.

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Shoulder · Shoulder and Sports Medicine

Shoulder Arthritis

Wear of the smooth cartilage lining the ball and socket of the shoulder, producing deep pain, grinding and progressive stiffness.

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Shoulder · Shoulder and Sports Medicine

Frozen Shoulder

Adhesive capsulitis: thickening and tightening of the joint capsule that stiffens the shoulder and causes months of pain, often with no injury at all.

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Shoulder · Shoulder and Sports Medicine

SLAP Tear

A tear of the top of the labrum where the biceps tendon anchors, common in throwers and after a fall on an outstretched arm.

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Shoulder · Shoulder and Sports Medicine

AC Joint Injury

A sprain or separation of the joint where the collarbone meets the shoulder blade, usually from a fall onto the point of the shoulder.

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Shoulder · Shoulder and Sports Medicine

Biceps Tendon Injury

Inflammation, fraying or tearing of the biceps tendon where it anchors inside the shoulder, often alongside rotator cuff or labral problems.

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Shoulder · Shoulder and Sports Medicine

Shoulder Bursitis

Inflammation of the fluid-filled cushion between the rotator cuff and the bony roof of the shoulder, causing pain with reaching and lying on that side.

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Shoulder · Shoulder and Sports Medicine

Shoulder Fractures

Breaks of the collarbone, the upper arm bone at the shoulder, or the shoulder blade, from falls and collisions. Many heal in a sling; some need fixation or replacement.

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Shoulder · Shoulder and Sports Medicine

Shoulder Cartilage Injury

Damage to the smooth cartilage surface of the ball or socket, from a dislocation, an injury or early wear, that causes pain, catching and the start of arthritis.

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What it is

Rotator Cuff Tear

The rotator cuff is four tendons wrapping the ball of the shoulder.

A tear is a gap in one of them, partial or full thickness, most often in the supraspinatus on top.Tears range from small fraying that never needs surgery to large retracted tears that weaken the arm and, if ignored, allow the joint to wear.

Treated by

J. Ryan Taylor, MD, Shoulder and Sports Medicine surgeon at Ridgeline Orthopedic Specialists

Dr. TaylorShoulder and Sports Medicine

Kevin Christensen, MD, Knee, Shoulder and Sports Medicine surgeon at Ridgeline Orthopedic Specialists

Dr. ChristensenKnee, Shoulder and Sports Medicine

Michael Carlson, MD, Shoulder and Sports Medicine surgeon at Ridgeline Orthopedic Specialists

Dr. CarlsonShoulder and Sports Medicine

Jeffrey Wallentine, MD, Joint Replacement surgeon at Ridgeline Orthopedic Specialists

Dr. WallentineJoint Replacement

Request an appointment

or call801-640-0000

Rotator Cuff Tear

Symptoms

Pain on the outside of the upper arm, worse reaching overhead or behind the back, and at night lying on that side.Weakness lifting the arm or holding it out to the side.

A tear after a fall or sudden pull usually causes immediate weakness. Degenerative tears build pain gradually over months.

Common signs

Pain reaching overhead or behind

Night pain lying on that side

Weakness lifting the arm out

Pain on the outside of the upper arm

See us sooner if

Sudden weakness after a fall

Shoulder that came out of joint

Rotator Cuff Tear

Causes

Most tears are degenerative: the tendon frays with age, reduced blood supply and decades of use, and tears with a minor event or none. Acute tears follow falls, lifting or a shoulder dislocation.Smoking, overhead work and a family history all raise the odds.

Rotator Cuff Tear

How We Diagnose It

A focused exam tests each cuff tendon for strength and pain.X-rays rule out arthritis and show whether the ball has risen in the socket. MRI confirms the tear, its size and the quality of the muscle.Ultrasound is an alternative in some patients.Falls on ice, ladders and overhead work are the usual causes we see in Utah Valley; imaging is arranged locally within days. Dr. Taylor, Dr. Christensen, Dr. Carlson and Dr. Wallentine operate at Utah Valley Hospital and American Fork Hospital.

Rotator Cuff Tear

Treatment Options

Many partial and degenerative tears improve with physical therapy, activity changes, anti-inflammatories and an injection.

Full-thickness tears in active patients, tears after injury, and tears that fail therapy are repaired arthroscopically.Massive tears that cannot be repaired, with arthritis, are treated with reverse shoulder replacement.

Your options

Non-surgical

Physical therapy

Activity changes

Anti-inflammatories

Injection

Surgical

Arthroscopic repair

Reverse replacement

Rotator Cuff Repair

Shoulder Arthroscopy

Reverse Total Shoulder

Rotator Cuff Tear

Procedures That Address It

Rotator Cuff Repair

Shoulder Arthroscopy

Reverse Total Shoulder Replacement

Rotator Cuff Tear

Surgeons Who Treat It

Dr. Taylor, MD

Dual fellowship trained in sports medicine and in shoulder and elbow surgery. Former Division I football player.

Dr. Christensen, MD

Andrews Institute sports medicine fellowship under Dr. James Andrews. Board certified in orthopedic surgery and orthopedic sports medicine. Fluent in Spanish.

Dr. Carlson, MD

Arthroscopic surgery of the shoulder, elbow, knee, hip and ankle. Published sports medicine researcher. Fourteen years in practice.

Dr. Wallentine, MD

Thirty-four years in practice. Mako robotic-assisted hip and knee replacement. Stanford sports medicine fellowship. BYU athletics team surgeon.

Request an appointment

or call801-640-0000

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Two clinics, one number to call or text. Same-day appointments for acute injuries whenever we can. The front desk will match you with the right surgeon.

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Provo1055 N 300 W, Ste 104

Orem700 W 800 N, Ste 330

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