Tendon Repair in New Jersey

Tendons tear for a variety of reasons, including weakness due to advanced age, direct trauma, gout and hyperparathyroidism. Unfortunately, 90 percent of all chronic tendon issues are long-term in nature; however, many of these injuries can go away on their own with rest and a little care. For tendon ruptures that cause problems, surgery is often needed. At High Mountain Orthopedics, our doctors perform a variety of tendon repair procedures to help you stay mobile.

Reasons For Tendon Repair

Tendons are a stretchy material that connects muscles to bone. These materials help the body move as it should and make it possible to transfer weight. They also protect the joints from damage. Sometimes these tendons become damaged due to a deep cut on the body that damages the tissue, an injury from a contact sport or a tear caused by an arthritic condition.

If you’ve experienced tendon damage, our physicians can assess the damage through an initial physical examination of the injured area. During the exam, we look for blood loss to the area, signs of infection and other injuries to the surrounding nerves, bones or blood vessels.

Types Of Repair Procedures

The most common type of tendon repair is surgery. During this process, our surgical team will remove any part of the damaged tendon tissue, sew the edges back together where the tendon is torn and then sew the skin back together with stitches. If the tendon is too short to sew back together, your surgeon will likely graft an extra piece of healthy tendon from another part of the body between the ends to make it meet. Your doctor may recommend you wear a splint while the area heals.

Physical therapy may be ordered to aid in the health of the tendon. You may also be asked to apply ice and rest the area for several weeks to several months.

Advantages Of Tendon Repair

The biggest advantage of tendon repair is the ability to regain normal strength of the surrounding muscles and tissues. Also, if left untreated, a torn tendon is likely to tear again when under pressure. Surgery by one of our physicians helps strengthen the weakened area, which is ideal for someone who participates in sports or someone who is very active.

Treatable Conditions

The most common areas of tendon injuries we see include tears of the quadriceps, where the four muscles come together above the kneecap. This makes it easier to extend the leg at the knee and makes it possible to walk, jump and run. Other areas where we see the most injuries of the tendons include the Achilles tendon, the tendon on the back of the heel, the rotator cuff in the shoulder and the biceps, which include the muscles in the arm that help bring the hand towards the shoulder. The rotator cuff is one of the most common areas of the body affected by tendon injuries due to extensive use.

Contact Us

If you have experienced an injury to a tendon or have pain in the joints during movement after an injury, contact our team of professionals at High Mountain Orthopedics. You can contact us through an online form and we will get back to you as soon as possible to schedule an appointment.