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Subscapularis tear/recovery 18-Jan-2016 At 9:10:24 AM kieranl

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When I hurt my shoulder last year my partner, who is a very experienced musculo-skeletal physio, explained to me that if it was a torn tendon then it wouldn't get better because they have virtually no blood supply - that's why they're white when you see them on animal carcasses.
I did the conservative stuff, rested for a few weeks, no impovement so had an ultrasound and an x-ray. Both showed nothing.
Went to an orthpaedic surgeon who decided it was inflammation and injected it. No improvement. Had an MRI and that showed a torn supraspinatus. Finally had surgery (tendon repair, screw and a bit of bone carved off) about 4 months post-injury.
I was incredibly lucky post-surgery in that I had no pain at rest - I gather this is not usual. I also didn't get a frozen shoulder - apparently a high percentage of people (?25%) experience this post-surgery. However, despite physioing the heck out of for 16 weeks I didn't have full range of movement. Then had 2 hydro-dilatations (basically pumping the shoulder full of saline to stretch it) which gave me back almost my full-range. Started climbing again 24 weeks post-surgery (my partner is conservative and believes in long rehab for climbers with shoulder injuries).