United Brachial Plexus Network

I had my body cast taken off yesterday, 7 weeks after my lat muscle was readjusted so that I can have external rotation. Since last night my shoulder has been aching really bad. The surgery worked, and yesterday when I was at Dr. Edgerton's office I was able to rotate out. But now if I try to rotate it, even the slightest bit, it hurts unbearably. I don't want to compromise the surgery by streching, but can anyone assure me if this temporary pain caused from wearing the cast or something else? I went back to taking pain medication that I had left over from the operation because of this.

Diargasm, this is the lats transfer that I am getting done in May. Can u tell me did your pain go down and did was it worth doing. Can you move your arm away from your body. Also did you miss your lats, I feel I am using it in trick functions right now and am worried I will lose function if I get this muscle transferred. One last question when you were in the half body cast are you very restricted or can you move your other side. THanks

Hello Aurelia,

Yes, the surgery was worth the weeks in the body cast. I can say that I don't have the best external rotation. I can keep my arm out whenever it is out, but it can be tricky to get it away from my body. I recently found out that my recent cross c7 operation allows me to rotate my arm, which in turn allows me to externally rotate out. Honestly, I don't know if I'll ever really be able to do it with ease, but I have made progress on it since the cast came off.

I don't miss my lats because I have part of my deltoid working which allows me push downards without the assistance of the lats. I honestly didn't notice the repositioned muscle since the surgery. I have no pain at all either.

If you need more info, I'd be glad to give it.

Thanks Diargasm, think I will go ahead with surgery its not till May tho.

Aurelia,

Did the doctors say that your deltoid can substitute some of the lat functions after the surgery. Because when I had my surgery done, I went in knowing that I wouldn't lose any function. From what I understand the lats bring the arms to the side of the body.

I don't have any deltoid, my arm is automatically by my side stuck to my body but I do all movement against my body. he said after the lats t/fer I will be doing stuff more away the body. I know you avulsed c5 and c6 but I think you said you had some deltoid movement, I didn't think that was possible with an avulsion. I think my posterior deltoid is firing slightly but is of no real functional use. I am hoping he knows what he is doing as I won't see him again now till the operation date! He also said the lats would stabilize the shoulder a bit, did you find that.

I'm not sure what you mean by stability. I've had the ability to shrug both my shoulders before my operations. That gave me the ability to even out my shoulders.

What avulsions did you have, and what operations have you had since?

They can't say for sure if it is avulsed but the c5 is as good as avulsed as the emg shows nothing. Stability is where the joints aren't clicking in and around your shoulders so much. But can I ask you, unless I read it wrong you mentioned your arm was in a cast over your head so did you have to stay in bed for 7 weeks or could you walk around, I can't imagine moving with that position/weight. Just trying to work out what I am going to do, as I live on my own and my parents live 150miles away so it will be a problem getting to them. Meals on wheels might be the answer. The hospital sure can't keep me in too long.

no, my arm wasn't over my head. It was stuck out, almost straight, in front of my chest, and to the side a little. The cast was a nuissance, and it took a while to get used to doing the daily necessities with it. The cast itself wasn't heavy because the way my doctor constructed it was to put all the weight on my body. I walked around without pain or anything. The most difficult part is waiting the 7 weeks for the cast to come off.

If I were you, I would try to get someone over to help you around the first day or so to get settled.