Dead arm syndrome

Dead arm syndrome

Dead arm syndrome starts with repetitive motion and forces on the posterior capsule of the shoulder. The posterior capsule is a band of fibrous tissue that interconnects with tendons of the rotator cuff of the shoulder. Four muscles and their tendons make up the rotator cuff. They cover the outside of the shoulder to hold, protect and move the joint.

Overuse can lead to a build up of tissue around the posterior capsule called hypertrophy. The next step is tightness of the posterior capsule called posterior capsular contracture. This type of problem reduces the amount the shoulder can rotate inwardly.

Over time, with enough force, a tear may develop in the labrum. The labrum is a rim of cartilage around the shoulder socket to help hold the head of the humerus (upper arm) in the joint. This condition is called a superior labrum anterior posterior (SLAP) lesion. The final outcome in all these steps is the dead arm phenomenon.

The shoulder is unstable and dislocation may come next. Dead arm syndrome won't go away on its own with rest—it must be treated. If there's a SLAP lesion, then surgery is needed to repair the problem. If the injury is caught before a SLAP tear, then physical therapy with stretching and exercise can restore it.

References



Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Dead arm — may refer to: Dead arm (grapes), a dieback disease caused by the combination of two fungi, Eutypa armeniacae and Phomopsis viticola Dead arm syndrome, a repetitive motion syndrome in people Dead Arm, a wine produced by Australian wine estate d… …   Wikipedia

  • syndrome — The aggregate of symptoms and signs associated with any morbid process, and constituting together the picture of the disease. SEE ALSO: disease. [G. s., a running together, tumultuous concourse; (in med.) a concurrence of symptoms, fr. syn,… …   Medical dictionary

  • dead finger — 1. a numb, mottled finger, as one seen in acrocyanosis. Called also waxy or white f. 2. hand arm vibration syndrome …   Medical dictionary

  • Down syndrome — Classification and external resources Boy with Down syndrome assembling a …   Wikipedia

  • Carpal tunnel syndrome — Classification and external resources Transverse section at the wrist. The median nerve is colored yellow. The carpal tunnel consists of the bones and flexor retinaculum. ICD 1 …   Wikipedia

  • Marfan syndrome — Marfan redirects here. For the person after whom the syndrome is named, see Antoine Marfan. Marfan syndrome Classification and external resources Micrograph demonstrating myxomatous degeneration of the aorti …   Wikipedia

  • XYY syndrome — Not to be confused with XXY (2 X s, Klinefelter s syndrome). XYY syndrome Classification and external resources Y chromosome ICD 10 Q …   Wikipedia

  • Liste der Syndrome — Diese Seite listet in alphabetischer Reihenfolge und ohne Anspruch auf Vollständigkeit Syndrome und Komplexe aus unterschiedlichen medizinischen Fachgebieten auf. Bitte nur Verweise auf den tatsächlichen Titel des Beitrags und keine… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Hand-arm vibration syndrome — A painful and potentially disabling condition of the fingers, hans, and arms due to vibration. In the syndrome, there is initially a tingling sensation in the fingers with numbness. The fingers then become white and swollen when cold and then red …   Medical dictionary

  • J. R. Richard — Infobox MLB retired name=J.R. Richard position=Pitcher bats=Right throws=Right birthdate=birth date and age|1950|03|7 city state|Vienna|Louisiana debutdate=September 5 debutyear=by|1971 debutteam=Houston Astros finaldate=July 14 finalyear=by|1980 …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”