Colts' Andrew Luck 'day-to-day' with injury to throwing shoulder

[Rusty Coupe]

Cartilage repair and capsulorraphy (ligament repair and tightening) for tears is readily accomplished via arthroscopy, in which the surgeon manipulates instruments through a thin tube (cannula) inserted through a few small (1 cm) incisions in the patient’s skin. This allows the active person to experience a minimum of pain after surgery and get back to work quickly.

Recovery is fairly rapid, over a period of four weeks for most daily tasks – though athletes must wait several months before resuming weight training for sports activities. The surgery has a high success rate – in the 90 percent range.

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What happens without surgery?

Without surgery, in the best-case scenario, the patient would adapt to the condition and any corresponding loss of motion, or satisfactorily change their lifestyle and activities. Pain and/or instability would plateau at a degree that the patient finds bearable, and the injury would not worsen.

In the worst-case scenario, the tear or tears worsen, causing more pain, or the ligament stretches more, making the shoulder less stable. Either of these conditions can damage the articular cartilage – the smooth, almost frictionless cartilage on the surfaces of the bones – and this can lead to arthritis. As well, frequent dislocations of the humerus can, over time, break down the outer edge of the glenoid socket, much as the top edge of a golf tee is worn down or chipped. This accelerates the frequency with which the humerus subluxates or dislocates from the glenoid with decreasing amounts of force, sometimes even occurring in their sleep.

http://www.orthop.washington.edu/?q...s/shoulder/treating-shoulder-dislocation.html

 

[Rhodey]

http://www.orthop.washington.edu/?q...s/shoulder/treating-shoulder-dislocation.html

If I'm a Colts fan, I am asking: What further damage can be done if this guy plays through an injury like that? However, given their impatience at player/team development, that he's playing next game does not surprise. Remember: this is a team that believes they are owed a championship because...they say so. And when they don't have it given to them, they make up their own league/rules and start posting up "Finalist" banners and such.