I need some advice.

 

I've played sports my entire life so by now I know the difference between an ache and an injury. I have some type of injury in my right arm.

 

My shoulder pops and grinds every time I rotate it. I graduated high school with a fastball in the high 70's to low 80's and now I can't throw a ball from third to first. It burns everytime I throw and I have very little power in my right arm. I assumed it was my rotators cuff, that seems like a common injury. I had an MRI done and I got my results back today.

 

Heres the deal. It's not my rotators cuff. I have a lateral tilt of the distal acromion with type III acromion with inferiorly projecting hook. There is also acromionclavicular joint arthropathy with a distal clavicular spur and fibrous overgrowth of the acromioclavicular joint capsule, which projects into the adjacent soft tissues. Thats the biggest part of my MRI papers word for word.

 

Could someone put this into working man terms for me ? Because right now I know I need therapy and most likely surgery but still dont have the slightest clue what is really wrong with my arm.

Above the rotator cuff is a bony projection from the scapula (shoulder blade) called the acromion. The acromion forms the “ceiling” of the shoulder, serves as the point of origin for the deltoid muscle, and joins the clavicle (collarbone) to form the acromioclavicular (a/c) joint.

 

I would venture to say it means you have arthritis in your shoulder that has formed bone spurs from wear and tear. It also sounds like there's some growth of fibrous tissue from the damage.

The Acromion is the joint were the clavicle (collar bone) and scapula (shoulder blade) join together. Arthropathy is any disease of a joint.

 

In common terms: Your shoulder is very messed up. You have a joint conditions that is manipulating the scapula to an angle. You have tendinitis, arthritis, bone spurs, and inflammation due to soft tissue damage by the bone spurs and joint capsule.

Above the rotator cuff is a bony projection from the scapula (shoulder blade) called the acromion. The acromion forms the “ceiling” of the shoulder, serves as the point of origin for the deltoid muscle, and joins the clavicle (collarbone) to form the acromioclavicular (a/c) joint.

 

I would venture to say it means you have arthritis in your shoulder that has formed one spurs from wear and tear. It also sounds like there's some growth of fibrous tissue from the damage.

 

Arthritis as a 22 year old ?

The Acromion is the joint were the clavicle (collar bone) and scapula (shoulder blade) join together. Arthropathy is any disease of a joint.

 

In common terms: Your shoulder is very messed up. You have a joint conditions that is manipulating the scapula to an angle. You have tendinitis, arthritis, bone spurs, and inflammation due to soft tissue by the bone spurs and joint capsule.

 

That doesnt sound good at all. So basically I need to have it repaired ? Am I wasting my time trying some physical therapy ?

If it is not a rotator cuff BEWARE of a romboid (SP) muscle tear. I could throw a basketball the length of the gym and one day could not shoot a bank shot. I could not get a two footer to the rim of the goal.

Above the rotator cuff is a bony projection from the scapula (shoulder blade) called the acromion. The acromion forms the “ceiling” of the shoulder, serves as the point of origin for the deltoid muscle, and joins the clavicle (collarbone) to form the acromioclavicular (a/c) joint.

 

I would venture to say it means you have arthritis in your shoulder that has formed one spurs from wear and tear. It also sounds like there's some growth of fibrous tissue from the damage.

Google? :sssh:

Arthritis as a 22 year old ?

Yes. It can come in a lot of forms. Like Ram said, you've got yourself one really screwed up shoulder there.

Google? :sssh:

Part of it. The rest, just from my own internal Google.

Arthritis as a 22 year old ?

It's not arthritis. Type III Acromion can be congenital, which means you were born with it. As you get older, the downward hook can cause tears in the rotator cuff. Surgery is usually required to fix the problem.

Arthritis as a 22 year old ?

You can have arthritis and tendonitis at an early age. I developed both by 18 years old.

 

That doesnt sound good at all. So basically I need to have it repaired ? Am I wasting my time trying some physical therapy ?

 

You would not be wasting you time. Research has showed that having a good deal of physical therapy prior to orthopedic surgery will greatly decrease the recovery time following surgery. Perhaps, PT will greatly benefit you, but more then likely you will require surgery to repair this condition.

You can have arthritis and tendonitis at an early age. I developed both by 18 years old.

 

 

 

You would not be wasting you time. Research has showed that having a good deal of physical therapy prior to orthopedic surgery will greatly decrease the recovery time following surgery. Perhaps, PT will greatly benefit you, but more then likely you will require surgery to repair this condition.

 

 

Okay, I guess my next question would be does anyone know a good shoulder specalist ? I'd be willing to pay 400 under the table with very little pain medication involved :laugh:

 

In all seriousness thanks everyone. As I said earlier I played sporst all my life and I know the difference between an ache and an injury and this is an injury. It's been bothering me for over and year and it gets worse by the week. I suppose I'll give therapy a try and go from there.

 

One more question. My doctor also mentioned this injury causing me to have a pinched nerve (Ulnar nerve?) that was causing 2 of my fingers to be numb for most of the day. Is this something common that goes along with my injury or have I just let this one injury cause a lot of problems in my arm because I waited so long to have it checked out ?

Arthritis as a 22 year old ?

You don't have to a certain age for Arthritis. I've worked in a hospital and I've seen cases of Arthritis were people have had cases so bad there joints in there fingers and toes were deformed.

Arthritis is very common with sports injuries, regardless of the age.

 

I currently have arthritis in both my left knee and right ankle from injuries I suffered in high school, I am 24.

Okay, I guess my next question would be does anyone know a good shoulder specalist ? I'd be willing to pay 400 under the table with very little pain medication involved :laugh:

 

In all seriousness thanks everyone. As I said earlier I played sporst all my life and I know the difference between an ache and an injury and this is an injury. It's been bothering me for over and year and it gets worse by the week. I suppose I'll give therapy a try and go from there.

 

One more question. My doctor also mentioned this injury causing me to have a pinched nerve (Ulnar nerve?) that was causing 2 of my fingers to be numb for most of the day. Is this something common that goes along with my injury or have I just let this one injury cause a lot of problems in my arm because I waited so long to have it checked out ?

 

Nerve damage and compromise is common with joint injuries, due to the fact that the nerves run close to all joints as they travel the length of the extremities. You joint is basically not in the place it should be due to the angle of the scapula and the inflammation, so it is putting pressure on the ulnar nerve.

 

If you want a local doctor, I would recommend Dr. Aiken. But, I would advise you to go to Cabel Huntington and find out what doctor does the shoulders for Marshall and get him. Just my opinion.