The correct treatment for rotator cuff tears remains a matter of debate. The varying characteristics of cuff tears – symptomatic versus asymptomatic, tear size, tendon quality, the presence of fatty atrophy, etc. – makes generalizations about the best treatment approach difficult. One thing shoulder specialists agree on is that tear enlargement is problematic. A cuff tear that enlarges may turn a once fixable tear into an unfixable one. Predicting which tears will enlarge and the rate at which they will is not an exact science. We welcome Dr. James Irrgang, PT, PhD, FAPTA & Dr. Luke Mattar, PhD from the University of Pittsburgh to discuss their study looking at tear propagation trends in patients with a symptomatic, isolated supraspinatus tears after 3 month of an initial trial of physical therapy.

Shoulder and elbow injuries in pitchers are as old as baseball itself. Measures to lower the risk of these injuries have been evolving for decades, with a nationalized though heterogenous effort from state to state implemented in the mid-2010s. Adherence to pitch counts and mandatory days of rest in between outings, for example, are common restrictions placed upon pitchers to try and keep them safe. Dr. Peter Kriz, MD and his team from Boston Children's Hospital look back to see if these policies made any impact. Have the pitching restriction regulations designed to keep pitchers safe actually worked?

Sleep disruption is a hallmark symptom of rotator cuff pathology. Poor sleep can result in profound detriment to one's health and wellbeing. One of the greatest rewards of rotator cuff surgery is the ability to correct this. However, recovery from rotator cuff repair surgery can be long, upwards of 6+ months, with each individual's recovery pathway unique to him/herself. So when should a patient expect, on average, to see improvement in sleep after shoulder surgery? Drs. Mohammad Daher, MD and Joseph Abboud, MD from the famed Rothman Institute in Philadelphia, PA join us to share their findings on this topic.