Do we have any Orthopedic Surgeons here?

I need to ask a very general question and I fully understand everyone is different:

I was diagnosed with a degenerative AC joint a year ago. I had a cortisone shot in Jan 2009, worked for a few mths then golf season started. I played 7 times this year and went to the range twice (I have to small kids and a wifw who hates golf so my time is scarce). Anyways my shoulder is KILLING me again like it did last year. The Sports Med Dr. said the cortisone was a temp fix and my condition would need surgery in the next 2-3 years, my pain tolerance will make that call.

I am a very active 37yr old with 2 little girls, I want to be able to play golf and with my kids painfree in 2010 so I have talked to my wife about getting another consulatation for the surgery.

My question is: what is the recovery time for this surgery? Do you typically need PT afterwards? How long before I could resume full activity?

My main concern right now is the winter is coming, where I live gets 120+ inches of snow and I can not be laid up for 2-3 mths recovering because my wife can not operate the snow blower. I am just doing a little homework before I call the Dr for his opinion.

Your assistance is appreciated.

Mike

 

Mike, I am not a doctor but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last night.
1. Pay to have your driveway plowed. Have a neighborhood kid to it for $20. Trust me, I will never in my life clear snow, and i am by no mean wealthy. Seriously, I would drive a Yugo before I would ever shovel snow, and I live in Wisconsin.
2. Get the surgery so you can have an enjoyable spring/summer. There will always be recovery time with any type of joint surgery. There is no better time than winter in my opinion.

I too have a bad shoulder ( and a bad back hence the shoveling disorder) and I am really putting it off, but there will come a time when I will have to get it fixed and winter will most certinaly get it taken care of.

Take care,
Brian

 

I formerly practiced physical therapy so I may be able to provide some "internet" insight but first I have a couple of questions:

1. Have you had any diagnostic tests? MRI, X-rays and what were the results?

2. Have ever had an AC separation? Is the AC joint more pronounced ( stick up further) on the affected side more than the uninvolved side?

3. What surgery are you considering? I am assuming a resection on the distal clavicle.

Now for some general info. Post distal clavicle resection you more than likely will go through physical therapy. The most important thing is to regain range of motion. Strength will always come back but if range of motion ( ROM ) is not normalized it will lead to bigger problems like adhesive capsulitis ( frozen shoulder ) and/or impingement syndrome.

The rehab is fairly straight forward, although uncomfortable at times as the shoulder complex has an immense amount of nerve innervation.

I hope this helps and I would be more than happy to answer any questions but your first line of information should be your surgeon as they are able to physically examine you.

Good luck

 

PT,

1. Yeah I had Xrays done. The Sports Dr. showed me the narrowing in the AC joint and that not enough fluid was there causing the bones to rub. After the cortisone shot I felt good for 2-3 mths but then it started to be "sore" now sore is "this thing is driving me crazy".

2. I did not have a seperation. Back in Sept 1998 I injured the same shoulder with a strained labrum and it never was the same again. I did 6-7 weeks of PT/rehab. Took me till March 1999 before I could gold again w/o pain. I remember hurting my shoulder playing tennis the day Mark Maguire hit HR #60, only reason I remember when I did it.

3. As for which surgery I am not sure. I did a little reading online and what I found was they make 4 cuts and use a tool to shave the bone/smooth it out to let the fluid get back into the shoulder so the bones don't rub.

As for the PT, during my exams I was always able to overpower the Dr. on the resistance tests so stength it there. I was a little sore afterwards but I could do it. When I was treated back in 1998 I remember the Dr mentioning an inpingment. If I had you put your hand on my shoulder pressing on down as I raise my arm you will hear/feel the grinding/popping. I have been able to do that since that 1998 injury.

Thanks for responding to my thread.

 

amputate.

-1

 

1) I recommend taking advice from people on the internet.

(Ok, no, I really dont. Why not go see the MD in your town?)

 

1. Cortisone can work wonders if the only cause of the pain is inflammation. If there is an underlying biomechanical issue cortisone won't change that. It sounds as if you have an underlying A/C joint problem.

2. I am fairly certain the procedure for the condition, as you describe it, would be a distal clavicle resection done arthroscopically. This is if that is your only problem. You mentioned a labral injury. Only an MRI would rule out any soft tissue problems like a torn rotator cuff, or labral tear.

3. It is positive to have good strength as good strength can, but not always, rule out a rotator cuff tear.

The most common shoulder problem without having an obvious injury is rotator cuff impingement. This happens when the rotator cuff muscle group gets weak and the individual has increased shoulder pain with overhead motions.

The most common error we do that leads to impingement syndrome is sleeping with our arms over our heads and repetitive overhead movements ( shoulder press ). This "impinges" the rotator cuff tendon between the humeral head and the acromion process leading to inflammation of the tendon.

I used to tell people who were considering surgery that is they could do ALL of the activities they wanted and deal with the discomfort that comes from it ( a day or so of ice/antinflammatories) then it is not time for surgery. If they could not perform ALL of the wanted activities or deal with the post activity pain it is time to consider the next step.

This info is general at best and as DrStangelove and I have suggested the specifics of your condition/treatment are best left with you and your treating physician.

 

Thanks Doc, I just figured I am part of a messageboard with a majority of it's members being of a prestigious profession like Doctors so I was looking for some general opinions on the recovery time. My wife is a nurse and would KILL me if I made my sole decision on answers I got here.