As part of the U-M Health Comprehensive Musculoskeletal Center, we collaborate closely with areas such as:

• Emergency Medicine
• Plastic Surgery
• Radiology
• Rheumatology
• Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Our integrated, multidisciplinary approach to patient care enables us to develop an individualized plan for your treatment. 

• MedSport: 877-877-9333, or 734-930-7400
• Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation (PM&R): 734-936-7175

To make our diagnosis, we start with your clinical exam, conduct a thorough health history, talk with you about your pattern of symptoms and take X-rays. Depending on what your X-rays show, further imaging, such as a CT scan, MRI, ultrasound or arthrogram, may be required. Our Radiology Services are state of the art and will help us determine how to treat your condition.

If you have suffered any shoulder trauma, seek treatment right away. Failure to do so risks further complications, such as chronic instability, weakness, pain or malunion (where a fracture heals in a bad position that is difficult to undo). Getting that diagnosis quickly means we can treat you while the injury is simpler to treat. But, even if a problem has been misdiagnosed or is a long-term issue, we can still help. Treatment varies widely, depending on the problem. 

Surgery

If we are able to effectively treat you without surgery, we will. But if you’ve already been treated without a good outcome, or you have a severe issue, we will discuss your surgical options and help you decide which option is best for you. We perform hundreds of shoulder surgeries each year, ranging from simple bunion and toe procedures to the most complex hindfoot reconstructions. We are on the forefront of orthopaedic technology, offering the most advanced techniques and developing new procedures for difficult problems.  Throughout all of our services, we collaborate with areas such as radiology, sports medicine, plastic surgery, emergency medicine, rheumatology, and physical medicine and rehabilitation. Our team approach enables us to pool together all of our knowledge and experience to better care for our patients. Some of the shoulder surgery solutions we offer include:

• Arthroscopic repair - Your surgeon will insert a small camera called an arthroscope, or scope, into your shoulder joint to see the damage and then use small surgical instruments to make the repair.
• Fusion surgery – Fusion is an excellent pain-relieving procedure for arthritic joints. It involves removing the cartilage from a joint so it grows into one bone, eliminating the pain of bones rubbing against each other.
• Mini-open repair - Where your surgeon inserts the arthroscope to see the rotator cuff and then makes a larger incision to perform the surgery. 
• Open repair - A traditional open surgical incision if the tear is large or complex. 
• Revision surgery - Patches and muscle transfers for complex cases
• Shoulder joint replacement – Using bone and cartilage from deceased donors to sculpt a new shoulder joint. The University of Michigan is one of the few hospitals in the area to offer shoulder joint replacement.