“My right shoulder was hurting before that, but I think that was the proverbial straw that broke the camel’s back,” says Faraci.

A closer look by surgeon Dr. Michael Kuhn with Orthopedic Associates of Middletown revealed extensive damage. “The rotator cuff is gone at this point,” says Dr. Kuhn. He confirmed a previous attempt to repair Joe’s rotator cuff failed.

“What happens to the shoulder when the rotator cuff is missing is the relationship of the ball and socket gets disrupted and so the ball tries to move out of the socket and causes pain,” explains Dr. Kuhn.

Shoulder replacement surgery was Joe’s only option until now.

Instead of replacing it with metal and plastic, Dr. Kuhn fixed the tear and reconstructed Joe’s shoulder with a graft using small incisions.

He says, “We’re actually able to put a graft in there and we restore the function of the shoulder, not necessarily the rotator cuff but the ability of the shoulder to maintain its normal relationships to allow Joe to improve his pain and improve his function — and restore his normal activity.”

Read more about how this procedure works

Learn More About Dr. Kuhn | To make an appointment with Dr. Kuhn please call 860-347-7636.