What do my MRI results mean

[ingr8pain]

Hello, i am new to this forum mostly because i am new to a shoulder injury. i was hurt on the job about 5 weeks ago and have since had an MRI of my injured left shoulder.The impression reads as follows:
1) Partial tear of the supraspinatus tendon at its insertion on the greater tuberosity.No retraction.
2) Multilocular cyst adjacent to the posterior-inferior glenoid labrum.The labrum is abnormal in signal posteriorly which could be related to degeneration with a possible tear present.

3) Subacromial subdeltoid bursitis.

4) Mild acromioclavicular join degeneration.

I have been told by the treating physician to for-go physical therapy and have been referred to a ortopaedic surgeon. I am 34 yrs. old and work in the construction industry. i rely on physical strength each day at work and was wondering if i am looking at surgery to get me back to normal range of motion. i currently cannot raise my arm out to the side without great pain. thank you for any help.

[Heidi]

Hi

There is always going to be two camps of people when it comes to operation vs PT for shoulder injuries. Each group always thinks they are right.

My advice is to follow what the physician and surgeon say. If they think that this is the best option for you, then they are most likely right! Afterall, they have the experience, knowledge and full facts about the condition of your shoulder.

From my knowledge, this is a complicated injury and so I think surgery is the way to go. In many cases I do think that surgery should be avoided if possible, but these are generally single structure injuries. And, given your occupation, getting back to work is obviously an issue, so I believe surgery may be able to help you do this sooner.

I hope this is helpful to you! Good luck!

[ingr8pain]

Heidi thank you so much for your reply and for the helpful information. imy goal is definitely getting back to work-but i need to have as much motion and strength as possible. if given the option i will go for the surgery.