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Rotator Cuff Tear in Athletes: Part II. Conservative Management – European Mindset

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Sports Injuries to the Shoulder and Elbow

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Abstract

Rotator cuff tears are an issue that particularly affects throwing athletes. Partial tears are more common than full thickness tears, and they are increasing in incidence. Initially, these tears can be managed conservatively, particularly when the supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendons are involved. There are many conservative management options available; however, there is only moderate evidence and no strong evidence to support these treatments, suggesting that further studies need to be conducted. Currently, conservative treatment is usually undertaken for 6 months, and if pain persists, patients are reevaluated and surgical treatment may be indicated. It is important to have a personalized rehabilitation regime, which should also address the scapular stabilizers, in order for the patient or athlete to return to normal function and the demands of sport.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Shoulder, Elbow and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Traumatology, Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    Michael O. Schär MD, Nandoun Abeysekera BE(Hons), MBChB & Matthias A. Zumstein MD

  2. Department of Physiotherapy, Inselspital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland

    Bettina Bertschy

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  1. Michael O. Schär MD
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  2. Bettina Bertschy
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  3. Nandoun Abeysekera BE(Hons), MBChB
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  4. Matthias A. Zumstein MD
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Correspondence to Matthias A. Zumstein MD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. NEON Orthopaedic Clinic, Global Center for Shoulder, Elbow & Sports, Seoul, Korea, Republic of (South Korea)

    Jin-Young PARK

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Schär, M.O., Bertschy, B., Abeysekera, N., Zumstein, M.A. (2015). Rotator Cuff Tear in Athletes: Part II. Conservative Management – European Mindset. In: PARK, JY. (eds) Sports Injuries to the Shoulder and Elbow. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41795-5_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-41795-5_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-41795-5

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