How Long Does It Take for the Rotator Cuff to Heal After Shoulder Replacement?

This is a good question because it’s kind of nuanced.

In many shoulder replacements, we use the rotator cuff and four tendons. But the one in the front is called the subscapularis. Think of that as a tendon. That’s the door to the shoulder. But we must open the door, insert the shoulder replacement, and close it. When we close it, we suture it back down to the bone.

For anatomic shoulders, that tendon must heal with reverse shoulders. It’s not quite as important if you look at the current data. But most of us still repair it because we think they’ll create a higher functioning implant and less instability. So either way, it takes about three months for that tendon to heal.

That’s why we do shoulder replacements. We let people move right away and use it. But we don’t want heavy, high-demand lifting stuff for about three months. Generally, it takes about three months for a tendon to heal back down to bone enough for the surgeon to tell the patient, go do whatever you want.