What is a Rotator Cuff Injury? A rotator cuff injury is a common cause of shoulder pain. Injury to the rotator cuff will usually begin as inflammation, often referred to as rotator cuff tendonitis. The rotator cuff muscles (Subscapularis, Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus and Teres minor) are small muscles situated around the shoulder joint. Although they have … Read more
What is Shoulder Bursitis? Shoulder bursitis is a common cause of shoulder pain that is related to rotator cuff tendonitis. Specifically, shoulder bursitis is inflammation of a structure called the ‘subacromial bursa’. This condition is sometimes called shoulder impingement syndrome and to understand how it occurs it is helpful to understand the anatomy of the … Read more
What is a Dislocated Shoulder? A dislocated shoulder is a common shoulder injury in contact sports such as rugby and martial arts. Shoulder dislocations are characterised by severe shoulder pain and hospital treatment is required to restore normal shoulder anatomy. The shoulder is a ball-and-socket joint that has a large range of movement but not … Read more
What is an AC Joint Sprain? A ‘shoulder separation’ is a common shoulder injury in sports and produces immediate shoulder pain. The term shoulder separation refers to an injury of the ligaments at the acromioclavicular (AC) Joint. The AC joint is part of the shoulder complex. It is situated at the outside point of the … Read more
What is Rotator Cuff Calcific Tendonitis? Rotator cuff calcific tendonitis is a fairly common cause of shoulder pain, which is difficult to distinguish from rotator cuff tendonitis or a torn rotator cuff. The cause of this relatively common shoulder problem is not fully understood. As the name suggests, rotator cuff calcific tendonitis is characterised by … Read more
What is a PCL Tear? Posterior cruciate ligament (PCL) is located deep within the knee joint and PCL injuries are quite common knee injuries in sport. The PCL is larger and stronger than the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). It passes backwards and downwards from the bottom of the thigh bone to the top of the … Read more
What is Osteoarthritis of the Knee? Arthritis (osteoarthritis) is a common cause of knee pain and knee swelling that usually manifests itself in middle age. The term osteoarthritis is somewhat misleading, because it’s literal meaning is ‘joint inflammation’. Although there is a component of joint inflammation with this condition, the primary process of tissue damage … Read more
The Lateral Collateral Ligament is the knee ligament that is located on the outside of the knee that links the thigh bone and the shin bone. It is the main stabiliser of the lateral aspect of the knee. A ligament injury is referred to as a sprain, and this knee injury can occur if the … Read more
What is a Sprained Thumb Injury? A sprained thumb is often referred to as skier’s thumb, due to the prevalence of this injury during skiing. It is a common cause of thumb pain and swelling. Skier’s thumb refers to damage to the ulnar collateral ligament at the base of the thumb. It is important to … Read more
Knee Osteoarthritis Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis and can be found in many joints, but the knee is commonly affected. Osteoarthritis involves the wear and tear of the whole joint, including the articular cartilage, subchondral bone and joint capsule. The cartilage at the ends of the bones becomes worn and then abnormal … Read more