Recent medical studies have linked post arthroscopic surgery shoulder pain pumps to the development of a serious condition known as PAGCL (post arthroscopic glenohumeral chondrolysis). Essentially, this devastating condition causes severe pain as a result of progressive loss of cartilage in the shoulder joint. This condition can develop suddenly during the months following arthroscopic shoulder surgery and require constant medication to manage the pain. Ultimately, since the loss of cartilage is irreversible, the condition may require complete shoulder joint replacement surgery.
The specific cause of PAGCL is believed to be from the high concentration of pain medication (usually Bupivacaine with Epinephrine) that is delivered to the shoulder joint by the pump. These disposable infusion pumps have been marketed under the brand name of Stryker Pain Pump or I-Flow On-Q Pump and deliver the medication by catheter implanted into the shoulder joint during surgery. The pumps typically stay in place for several days following surgery. If the cartilage is damaged or destroyed by one of these pumps, the shoulder joint will have limited movement resulting in significant pain and decreased range of motion. Some patients also experience symptoms such as stiffness, clicking, popping or grinding of the shoulder.
The American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) issued warnings to surgeons of the risks and potential injuries linked to the pain pumps in 2008. The AAOS recognized that if the pump was inserted directly into the shoulder joint, rather than the tissue of the shoulder, an increased risk of injury, including PAGCL, was found to occur.
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