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Patient Stories
Learn how our quality of care enhances our patient's quality of life
Tyler Rice
Shoulder Bicep Tendonitis & SLAP Repair Surgery
Tyler Rice is an avid 17-year-old baseball player who enjoys playing shortstop and pitching for both his travel and high school team. In June, Tyler began having a recurring pain in his right shoulder.
Tyler chose to visit Dr. Matthew Griffith because of his known expertise as a shoulder and sports injury specialist who understands the mechanics of baseball. After examining Tyler’s shoulder, Dr. Griffith diagnosed Tyler with right shoulder bicep tendonitis.
Bicep tendonitis is a condition that affects the area where the bicep muscle meets the front of the shoulder. Bicep tendonitis rarely occurs on its own. It is a very common condition amongst athletes and usually occurs from repetitive overuse and instability in the shoulder.
Dr. Griffith first recommended Tyler to try conservative treatment, going to physical therapy and having steroid injections. Over the next year, Tyler’s shoulder pain still persisted. Dr. Griffith prescribed a follow-up MRI and found a tear in Tyler’s labrum. In order to play competitive baseball again, he needed surgery.
Dr. Griffith recommended arthroscopic surgery SLAP Repair surgery (Superior Labrum from Anterior to Posterior). SLAP repair surgery restores the normal anatomy of the shoulder by reattaching the labrum (a type of cartilage) in its normal position. Once healed, the SLAP repair allows for normal shoulder function.
After his SLAP Repair, Tyler worked hard with our physical therapy team. His therapists formed a rehabilitation program to help strengthen and stabilize the shoulder.
Tyler comments, “Physical therapy was hard and painful at first. But I kept doing it because I wanted to play baseball again. I knew that in order to do that I had to stick with the physical therapy and not get off track.”
Tyler further describes his rehabilitation, “I knew it would take time and dedication to recover after surgery. Dr. Griffith guided me to stay on track. He was honest and encouraging. I stuck with the physical therapy program going twice a week, and working at home. It was challenging not contributing to the team on the field, but I learned to appreciate every minute of playing time. Now I’m back playing baseball for Potomac Falls and my travel team.”