Rotator Cuff

The Fake PRP Files: New Shoulder Rotator Cuff Study

You’ve read here several times that the concentration of PRP matters. Despite that, we continue to see studies that use bad “PRP” kits that don’t produce anything that meets the definition of PRP. A recent study was just published on rotator cuff tears that highlights that problem. Let’s dig in. PRP and Concentration PRP stands…read more

Is Bone Marrow Concentrate a Shoulder Rotator Cuff Fixer?

This week a Mayo Clinic registry-based study came out suggesting that bone marrow concentrate injections reduced shoulder rotator cuff surgery retear rates. Let’s look at that data in the context of what else has been published and investigate what we know about this treatment in shoulders. Let’s dig in. What Is Bone Marrow Concentrate? Can’t…read more

Why You Might Want to Avoid Rotator Cuff Surgery

Earlier this month I presented the almost final data from our randomized controlled trial on shoulder rotator cuff tears at a large national conference on orthobiologics. The research will soon be submitted for publication, but you’ll get the first look at our data here. Let’s dig in. The Problem with Shoulder Rotator Cuff Tears and…read more

How Does Orthopedic Surgery Stack Up to Interventional Orthopedics?

As I have shown a few times, orthopedic surgery has an embarrassingly poor evidence base. I recently covered a new study that helped confirm this issue a few weeks ago and I have since performed a deep dive to compare how Interventional Orthopedics stacks up. Let’s dive in. The Old Gaurd versus the New Kid…read more

Taking Vitamins for a Rotator Cuff Tear?

Can taking vitamins or supplements help a rotator cuff tear? Can not taking them make things worse? A colleague sent me a paper on vitamin B12 and rotator cuff tears so I decided to take a deeper dive. Let’s dig in. Rotator Cuff Tears Your rotator cuff is the complex of muscles and tendons that…read more

Does a Partial Rotator Cuff Tear Get Bigger Over Time?

If you have a small rotator cuff tear, will it get bigger over time? This is a critical issue as we have many patients who put off getting their shoulder treated for years. So what is their risk? Let’s dig in. The Shoulder Rotator Cuff Your shoulder has four muscles that stabilize the joint and…read more

Stem Cell Treatment for Torn Rotator Cuff : Our New Research

We’ve been offering patients stem cell treatment for torn rotator cuff tendons for almost 15 years. In fact, we were the first clinic on earth to use this as a primary treatment for rotator cuff tears. Along the way, we’ve published some research on this treatment and learned quite a bit. Let’s dive into this…read more

Rotator Cuff Stem Cell Treatment: Does this Work?

You’ve probably seen ads in your local newspaper for rotator cuff stem cell treatments. Maybe you’ve been to a seminar? So can stem cells heal a rotator cuff? Does stem cell therapy work for shoulders? Let’s dig in. Rotator Cuff Tears 101 The rotator cuff is a series of muscles and their tendons that surround…read more