Chronic glenohumeral ligament sprains can be painful and debilitating. In many situations these sprains can cause the shoulder to dislocate, requiring frequent trips to the emergency room. Glenohumeral ligaments play a large role in keeping the complex shoulder joint together while allowing for a full range of movement. Chronic spraining can be treated surgically, but new stem cell treatment, platelet rich plasma treatment, and regenerative medicine techniques offered by The Institute of Regenerative & Molecular Orthopaedics are less invasive and can be more effective.
What are Glenohumeral Ligaments?
Glenohumeral ligaments derive their name from the glenohumeral joint, the primary joint of the four joints that comprise the shoulder. This is the ball joint where the ball-shaped end of the humerus, the upper arm bone, fits into the socket on the inner scapula, the shoulder blade. Ligaments are the fibrous tissues that connect bones to other bones, thus the glenohumeral ligaments attach the humerus to the scapula, specifically the part of the scapula called the glenoid. This circular bundle of ligaments is responsible for providing the majority of support for the shoulder. The ligaments form a watertight seal around the joint called a joint capsule.
Causes and Risk Factors
The most common cause of chronic glenohumeral ligament sprains is a previous sprain that never completely healed or did not heal correctly. The initial sprain could have been caused by a number of factors or events, including sports, complex movements made by those with poor coordination or balance, inadequate stretching, or connective tissue disorders.
Symptoms
The primary symptom of glenohumeral ligament sprains is pain. In addition to the pain, the shoulder can be tender, swollen, red, or bruised. A feeling of warmth in the sprained shoulder also often occurs. The sprain can cause a limitation in the normal range of movement of the shoulder. In worst cases, the shoulder dislocates and must be reset.
Treatment
Some forms of these types of sprains can heal simply through rest or through physical therapy. However, chronic glenohumeral ligament sprains never fully heal. This is why they occur over and over again. The traditional treatment for chronic sprains in the shoulder has always been surgery, but new forms of treatment and regenerative medicine have now been developed that offers several benefits over surgery. Stem cell treatment and treatments using platelet rich plasma help the ligaments to regenerate. With more ligament tissue available, they become stronger, greatly reducing the chances of sprains in the future.