Orthopedic experts developing an injury monitoring system to further understand shoulder injury prevalence in the UAE

Rotator cuff injuries are some of the most common orthopedic ailments known to orthopedic physicians in Dubai, UAE. The diagnosis of such injuries is usually made using a combination of factors; history, physical exam, special tests, and imaging. Experts in Dubai are now developing an injury monitoring system to better understand the injury incidence and prevalence in the country.

Dr William Murrel, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, Orthopaedic Sports Medicine, Dr Humeirah Badsha Medical Center, Dubai, UAE, will be speaking at the 3rd International Congress for Joint Reconstruction – Middle East (ICJR Middle East) about the new injury monitoring system that is being developed. The event will take place from 30 April-2 May 2014 at the Dubai International Convention & Exhibition Centre, UAE.

According to Dr Murrel, “Right now, in Dubai, we are currently developing an injury monitoring system so that we can find out and better comprehend the injury incidence and prevalence of shoulder injuries.  In Dubai, the most common causes for shoulder injury in my patient population is probably related to overuse and improper weight-training in both people who undergo surgery as well as those treated conservatively.  Traumatic injury is a distant second place in terms of frequency and aggregate number of injuries.”

The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that surround the shoulder joint, keeping the head of your upper arm bone firmly within the shallow socket of the shoulder.  Causes of rotator cuff injuries include falling, lifting or pulling, repetitive overhead movement of your arms, and bone spurs.

“Rotator cuff injuries are very common in my practice, and represent approximately one third of my surgical cases.  We perform the highest number of shoulder surgeries in Dubai, and the UAE, at my hospital.  This represents approximately 70% of my practice, and this is almost evenly split between rotator cuff repair and fixing dislocating shoulders. Most rotator cuff injuries are, however, managed non-operatively with anti-inflammatory medicines (NSAIDS), physiotherapy, home exercises, and ultrasound guided injections.  In the future, the use of biologics will target rotator cuff injuries so that we can maybe prevent rotator cuff tears from happening in the first place. This is an area of current investigation in our center,” says Dr Murrel.