ICD 10 Code for Rotator Cuff Tear

The rotator cuff tear condition is one of the most common conditions experienced among patients these days. This is why so many medical personnel searches for the ICD 10 Code for rotator cuff tear, just like you.

The ICD 10 Code for Rotator Cuff Tear is M75.101. And this code is billable and required both for diagnosis and treatment. This code is the American version and you should bear in mind that there are other international versions so do not be confused.

Now that you have learned about the ICD 10 code for rotator cuff tear, let’s learn a little about the condition, rotator cuff tear.

ICD 10 Code for Rotator Cuff Tear

Rotator Cuff Tear: Overview

This is one of the most common injuries related to the shoulder joint. This joint is regarded as one of the most amazing and complex in the whole body. Wondering why? Here is a simple explanation. This joint has the greatest amount of movement and range of motion of all the joints in the human body.

Due to the width of the arc of motion, our shoulders play a major role in carrying out almost every activity the upper body is involved in. This dependence on the shoulder joint puts it at risk of developing a rotator cuff tear or other injuries in this region.

Causes of Shoulder Pain

Before we dive into what rotator cuff tears are and their causes, it is important that we discuss pain in the shoulder first. Shoulder pain is one of the commonest complaints regarding joints in the upper body. This problem can lead to several other problems because you get to use your arms for most activities.

It is very important that shoulder pain is quickly diagnosed and treated because it could impede daily activities and cause excruciating pain. It is not uncommon to hear people with shoulder pain regard it as related to the rotator cuff.

Make sure you are diagnosed by a physician since there are several other causes of shoulder pain. Understand the source of the pain before commencing treatment so that you don’t end up targeting the wrong cause.

Describing the Rotator Cuff

There are four muscles and tendons that frame the shoulder joint, all of this put together can be described as the rotator cuff. You probably have confused this area with several other names, now you know it, it is known as the rotator cuff.

When we say the rotator cuff is injured, it is actually the tendons that had the injury. The muscles in the rotator cuff are connected to the bone by these tendons. When the tendons are torn or inflamed they lose proper function and begin to hurt you badly.

Asides from being needed for the lifting of different sizes of materials, the rotator cuff is also important for the balancing of shoulder mechanics and normal stability. When this part of the body does not function adequately, there would definitely be a lapse in how the shoulder and the rest of the body function as well.

Symptoms of Rotator Cuff Tear

There is no need to sugarcoat it, the most common symptoms of rotator cuff tear are pain, which could be mild or excruciating, depending on what functions you are trying to carry out. It is very common to see patients complain of pain in the area above the arm and shoulder. Sometimes it may extend to the outer part of the arm and even down to the elbow.

Another very common symptom is the weakness of the shoulder. This weakness results in difficulty in lifting the arm above the head as well as with carrying objects, wearing or removing a dress, and carrying out other daily functions. It is important that your doctor is able to differentiate between this kind of weakness and the actual weakness of the shoulder.

When the shoulder suffers actual weakness, it means there is damage in one of the muscles in the area or one of the tendons is torn. The muscle ceases to carry out normal functions. On the other hand, apparent weakness, the symptom of a rotator cuff tear, will only be experienced when you try to make use of the joint.

At the initial stages, you are not likely to experience much pain. And the limitations to functions are usually very minimal. If it is not taken seriously, it may lead to advancement in the symptoms and may require more stringent treatment measures.

Treatment of Rotator Cuff Tear

Most incidents of this ailment are treated with no need for surgical procedures. As a matter of fact, only a few patients actually go under the knife because of rotator cuff tears.

Some of the non-operative treatments include:

Physical therapy
Cortisone injections
Anti-inflammatory medications

Before deciding to carry out surgery, the doctor should first recommend one or more of the non-operative treatments. Except in extreme cases which are very uncommon. When the non-surgical measures seem inadequate or totally fail, you may begin to consider a surgical procedure. This is, however, solely the call of the doctor involved.

The surgery is required to ensure that the torn tendons are repaired. How do you know when to carry out surgery? It will depend on the following parameters:

The type of tear in the tendon.
The activity level of the patient.
Whether the treatment measures attempted have failed or not

No doubt, surgery is still the best-known treatment for this condition. Yet a few reasons may put people off from considering surgery as the first measure. The major reason is that the rehab after surgery may take from six months to one year to be complete.