

The Superior Capsular Reconstruction Procedure This procedure can prevent the need for a reverse shoulder replacement or another more extensive procedure.

Superior capsular restoration may be able to help restore motion and prevent the humeral head from moving out of place. Steroid injections and conservative management can help control pain for irreparable tendon damage, but these treatments generally cannot fix functional problems with the shoulder. Using graft tissue to reinforce and reattach the rotator cuff can restore function to the shoulder when other treatment methods aren’t possible. Without strong tissue to hold it in place, the humeral head, which is the top of your upper arm, can start to migrate upwards and come out of the socket. Surgeons call a torn tendon irreparable when the tissue is not good enough quality to be reattached successfully. Patients who experience an irreparable tear but have otherwise healthy shoulders with no arthritis may be candidates for the superior capsular reconstruction. Who needs superior capsular reconstruction? If you need a rotator cuff procedure, the orthopedic surgeons at California Orthopedics & Spine have years of experience diagnosing and treating injuries at our office in Novato, CA. Superior capsular reconstruction is a graft procedure that adds tissue to the top portion of the rotator cuff, preventing the top of your arm bone from moving up too high or coming out of the shoulder socket. When the tissue of the rotator cuff is too thin after an injury, or if the tissue is of poor quality, it may be impossible to repair the rotator cuff successfully without a tissue graft.
