The first all arthroscopic double row rotator cuff repair in Dubai was performed by U.S.A. Consultant Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Specialist Dr William D. Murrell at City Hospital on 9 February 2009.
Rotator cuffs are muscles around the shoulders. Some patients are at risk for re-tears after repair. Studies show that using a double row of stitches, instead of a single row, called anchor sutures may be better than a single row of sutures to repair rotator cuff tears, which is the procedure performed by Dr William Murrell. This double-row fixation helps strengthen the anchoring of the tendon to the bone.
The patient injured his shoulder recently playing softball, heard a loud pop and suffered immediate pain. He was referred from Abu Dhabi, for evaluation and medical resonance imaging (MRI) exam that revealed a medium sized shoulder tendon (rotator cuff) tear. Since the patient is young and active early surgical repair was recommended.
At the time of surgery, the size of the tear had enlarged; this is common for this type of injury. Even though the tear had enlarged significantly, the injury was easily treated with the arthroscopic technique. The anesthesia team provided excellent pain control after surgery and the patient was relatively pain-free compared with patients undergoing an open surgery of shoulder tendon repair. To date the patient is doing quite well, and is completing his rehabilitation plan in order to resume normal physical activities.
This new technique offers a benefit of recreating normal anatomy through an arthroscopic technique with more tendon to bone fixation than single row techniques. That we can now offer patients in UAE this new treatment option is very rewarding.
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© Press Release 2009
