Question from Rainer V.: I am 71 years old, have been a racing cyclist for 50 years and still cycle around 10,000 kilometres a year. I have now had a torn tendon in my right shoulder (rupture of the rotator cuff) and have had an operation. I had to wear a shoulder brace for six weeks, and I'm currently going to physiotherapy and cycling on the ergometer at home, where I can vary the handlebar position to suit. But when will I be able to sit on my racing bike again?
Answer from Dr Christian Merkl: Rotator cuff syndromes are caused by degenerative processes, particularly in older people. Around half of all 70-year-olds have a defect or tear in this area. The supraspinatus tendon, which you have probably had sutured, is involved in 95 per cent of cases. In cycling, the shoulder is an important transfer point in the muscular chain from the trunk to the hands. The muscles leading up to it (adductor muscles such as the latissimus on the back, the large pectoral muscle and the large rhomboid muscle) are particularly important when sitting, as are the muscles responsible for turning and backward movements. The supraspinatus tendon plays a subordinate role. For this reason, you can train easily on the ergometer after removing the shoulder orthosis. If there are no complications, you should be able to get back on your racing bike three months after the operation.
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