Orthopaedics at Piedmont Medical Center:

Expert Treatment of the Shoulder and Elbow

The Orthopaedic specialists at Piedmont Medical Center of Rock Hill SC have the skill and experience to treat the various acute conditions of the shoulder and elbow.

Although the shoulder is the most movable joint in the body, it is also an unstable joint because of its range-of-motion. Because the ball of the upper arm is larger than the socket of the shoulder, it is susceptible to injury. The shoulder joint must also be supported by soft tissues – muscles, tendons, and ligaments – which are also subject to injury, overuse, and under use.

Degenerative conditions and other diseases in the body may also contribute to shoulder problems, or generate pain that travels along nerves to the shoulder.

The shoulder and elbow specialists at Piedmont Medical Center can diagnose and treat the full array of conditions of the shoulder and elbow, including:

Conditions of the Shoulder

• Shoulder Dislocation: The shoulder joint is the most frequently dislocated major joint of the body – often caused by a significant force that separates the shoulder joint’s ball (the top rounded portion of the upper arm bone, or humerus) away from the joint’s socket (glenoid.)
• Shoulder Separation: The shoulder becomes separated when the ligaments attached to the collarbone (clavicle) are torn, or partially torn, away from the shoulder blade (scapula.) Shoulder separation may be caused by a sudden, forceful blow to the shoulder or as a result of a fall.
• Shoulder Bursitis: Shoulder bursitis often occurs when tendonitis and impingement syndrome cause inflammation of the bursa sacs that protect the shoulder.
• Shoulder Impingement Syndrome: Shoulder impingement syndrome is caused by the excessive squeezing or rubbing of the rotator cuff and shoulder blade. The pain associated with the syndrome is a result of an inflamed bursa (lubricating sac) over the rotator cuff and/or inflammation of the rotator cuff tendons, and/or calcium deposits in tendons due to wear and tear. Shoulder impingement syndrome can lead to a torn rotator cuff.
• Shoulder Tendonitis: Tendonitis of the shoulder is caused when the rotator cuff and/or biceps tendon become inflamed, usually as a result of being pinched by surrounding structures. The injury may vary from mild inflammation to involvement of most of the rotator cuff. When the rotator cuff tendon becomes inflamed and thickened, it may become trapped under the acromion.
• Rotator Cuff Tear: A rotator cuff tear involves one or more rotator cuff tendons
  becoming inflamed from overuse, again, a fall on an outstretched hand, or a collision.
• Adhesive Capsulitis (frozen shoulder): Frozen shoulder is a severely restrictive condition frequently caused by injury that, in turn, leads to lack of use due to pain. Intermittent periods of use may cause inflammation and adhesions to grow
  between the joint surfaces, thus restricting motion. There is also a lack of synovial fluid to lubricate the gap between the arm bone and socket that normally helps the shoulder joint to move. This restricted space between the capsule and ball of the humerus distinguishes adhesive capsulitis from the less complicated condition known as stiff shoulder.
• Shoulder Fracture: A fracture is a partial or total crack or break through a bone that usually occurs due to an impact injury.
• Shoulder Replacement: Although used less commonly than knee or hip replacement, shoulder replacement surgery removes diseased or damaged bone in the shoulder and replaces it with an artificial joint. If arthritis pain is unrelieved by other methods, you may need shoulder replacement surgery. 

Conditions of the Elbow:

• Elbow Bursitis: Bursitis may be caused by trauma to the elbow, prolonged pressure on the elbow, a skin opening allowing bacteria to enter the bursa and cause infection, and medical conditions such as rheumatoid arthritis and gout.
• Forearm Fracture: Falling on an outstretched hand or directly on the tip of the elbow can result in dislocation and/or several types of fractures, depending on the fall.
• Osteoarthritis of the Elbow: a condition caused by wear and tear that causes inflammation of the joint, causing swelling, pain, and stiffness.
• Rupture of the Distal Biceps Tendon at the Elbow
• Lateral Epicondylitis (Tennis Elbow): Pain is caused by damage to the tendons that bend the wrist backward away from the palm.
  
  

Contact the Orthopaedic Specialists of Piedmont Medical Center Today

The Orthopeadic Specialists at Piedmont Medical Center of Rock Hill SC will provide expert diagnosis and skilled, compassionate treatment of your shoulder and elbow condition. We invite you to contact  us at 803-329-1234 to learn more or click here for a physician referral.