Expert Shoulder Surgeon Offers Innovative Fix
Dr. John Costouros, a renowned orthopedic surgeon at Washington Health’s Institute for Joint Restoration and Research (IJRR), is offering an innovative minimally invasive treatment for irreparable rotator cuff tears. The procedure involves inserting a biodegradable subacromial balloon spacer above the rotator cuff using arthroscopic techniques. Rotator cuff tears are the most common issue shoulder specialists see, and half of all people over 60 will experience the condition.
The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that stabilizes the shoulder joint and enables arm movement. Tears occur from overuse, injury, or age-related wear, causing pain, weakness, and limited range of motion. While conservative treatments like physical therapy and injections are tried first, more severe cases previously required major procedures — such as superior capsular reconstruction, tendon transfers, or total joint replacement — involving four to six weeks in a sling and a four-to-six-month rehabilitation period.
The FDA-cleared InSpace subacromial balloon spacer, implanted since 2021, offers a far less invasive alternative. Dr. Costouros makes small incisions to insert the balloon, which is inflated with saline to cushion the joint, improve muscle function, and reduce pain. Recovery requires only about a week in a sling and no more than three months of rehabilitation. Dr. Costouros has performed approximately 100 of these procedures and notes that good candidates are those with an intact subscapularis tendon and minimal arthritis.
