A new study suggests that surgery may not be the best solution for regular shoulder injuries, krwgnews22 reports.
A number of orthopedic surgeons state that patients who wear slings and get rehabilitation for their shoulder injury recover faster compared to the patients who undergo surgery.
The surgical treatment for dislocated shoulder involves the use of a plate and screws to reconnect the joint.
For the study, the researchers studied eighty-three shoulder patients in random clinical trials. Out of the total number of patients, 40 received surgery and then rehabilitation and 43 wore a sling and underwent physical therapy. For the next 2 years, the researchers monitored the patients for any complications that arose after the treatment.
The results showed that only 43% of the patients who had surgery were able to go back to work in 3 months. Also, seven of the patients who underwent surgery had side effects such as infections and numbness.
In comparison, the non-surgical group had more mobility of their shoulders and 75% even returned to work after a period of three months.
"For severe AC joint dislocations, surgery is the common practice but there's not much evidence to suggest this is actually the best treatment," said Dr. Michael McKee, an orthopedic surgeon with St. Michael's Hospital.
"While satisfaction with appearance of the shoulder should be a consideration, I believe surgeons should think twice before recommending surgery for an AC joint dislocation - regardless of the severity", affirmed Dr. Michael McKee, an orthopedic surgeon with St. Michael's Hospital.
However, surgical patient were more satisfied with the appearance of their shoulder after treatment, in comparison to nonsurgical patients.
Researchers concluded that the patients who wear a sling and undergo rehabilitation recover faster and experience fewer complications than the patients who undergo surgery.
