Pasta is a very versatile dinner option, but in the medical world, PASTA is an acronym for a specific shoulder condition – partial articular supraspinatus tendon avulsion. The condition affects a person’s rotator cuff, and it tends to be more common in athletes, particularly those who regularly perform overhead throwing motions. In today’s blog, we take a closer look at PASTA lesions in the shoulder and explain how Dr. Holloway can help you overcome the condition.
Understanding Shoulder PASTA Lesions
To get a better understanding of a PASTA lesion, let’s break down the acronym piece by piece.
- Partial – This signifies that the tear is not a complete rupture, but rather a partial tear.
- Articular – Articular refers to the inner-side of the tendon.
- Supraspinatus Tendon – Your supraspinatus tendon is one of the tendons that make up your rotator cuff. Your rotator cuff is a collection of soft tissues that help in stabilization and mobilization of your shoulder complex.
- Avulsion – Avulsion speaks to the nature in which the injury developed, and it describes a traumatic injury in which a pulling force has been applied to the area.
Putting it all together, you have an avulsion injury that leads to an incomplete tear on the inner side of a specific tendon that makes up the rotator cuff. This is a pretty typical type of injury to the rotator cuff, and it tends to be caused by:
- Repetitive Stress – Prolonged forceful stress on the shoulder, like what baseball players, volleyball players or athletes in certain contact sports may experience.
- Acute Trauma – Direct trauma, like what you might experience during a car accident or similar high-energy trauma.
- Falls – Falling onto an outstretched arm will put significant strain on the rotator cuff as your shoulder attempts to brace your fall.
Symptoms of a PASTA lesion include pain and discomfort in the shoulder, especially when lifting or twisting the shoulder, mobility restrictions, shoulder weakness and a feeling of looseness in the joint.
Diagnosing And Treating PASTA Tears
PASTA tears can be a little difficult to pinpoint, although a clinical examination will likely lead the physician to hone in on the rotator cuff. From there, imaging tests can help confirm a diagnosis, or it can be spotted during an arthroscopic debridement procedure that is used to remove damaged tissue in the area.
Your specific course of treatment will depend on the extent of your tear and the severity of symptoms, however most doctors and patients will attempt to tackle the problem conservatively. This generally starts with some short-term rest and specific activity avoidance, particularly any overhead activity that puts excessive stress on the rotator cuff. From there, you’ll pursue a healthy dose of physical therapy that works to strengthen the soft tissues of the rotator cuff and the nearby structures that support the joint as a whole. Ice and anti-inflammatory medications can help manage discomfort at this stage, and many patients will see enough improvement over the course of a few weeks or months to avoid surgery and gradually return to a pre-injury level of athletics.
For more serious cases or for patients who do not respond well to conservative treatment, surgery may be the best option. In these instances, the surgeon may work to debride the area in order to produce an environment that is more conducive to healing, or a more complete rotator cuff repair where the tendon is artificially strengthened. In either case, the patient will follow many of the above conservative treatment techniques once surgery is complete to restore function and strength in the rotator cuff.
For more information about PASTA lesions, or for help treating a different shoulder issue, reach out to Dr. Holloway and his team today at (865) 410-7887.
