Rotator Cuff Repair in Elizabethtown, KY
If you live in Elizabethtown, Radcliff, Fort Knox or anywhere in Hardin County and you have a shoulder that will not let you sleep, lift or reach, you can be evaluated for a rotator cuff tear without driving to Louisville. Aptiva Health’s Elizabethtown clinic at 529 Westport Road, Suite 2 offers same-day orthopedic visits, on-site X-ray, and physical therapy under one roof. Dr. J. Steve Smith, a board-certified orthopedic surgeon, sees shoulder patients here, and when surgery is the right answer, your pre-operative planning and every follow-up visit stay in Elizabethtown.
Call 270-506-4888. Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. Same-day appointments available.
Schedule your appointment today!
What is a rotator cuff tear?
The rotator cuff is the set of four tendons that hold the ball of your shoulder centered in its socket and let you raise and rotate your arm. A tear is a split in one of those tendons, most often the supraspinatus on top of the shoulder. Partial tears leave some of the tendon attached to the bone; full-thickness tears separate it completely.
A torn tendon does not grow back onto the bone on its own. Many tears can still be managed without surgery, but the first step for Hardin County patients is an accurate diagnosis, which our Elizabethtown team can begin the same day you call.
Types of rotator cuff tears
Your Elizabethtown surgeon describes a tear two ways, and both shape the plan.
By depth: a partial-thickness tear frays or damages the tendon without going all the way through; a full-thickness tear separates the tendon from the bone, leaving a gap that can be small or, over time, quite large.
By cause: an acute tear comes from one event, such as a fall onto an outstretched arm, a hard pull on something heavy, or a sports injury; a degenerative tear develops over years as the tendon thins with age and repeated overhead use, and is the more common type after 40.
Small partial tears in lower-demand shoulders often do well without surgery. Full-thickness tears after an injury, and tears with persistent weakness, are the ones most likely to need repair.
Signs your shoulder deserves an evaluation
Patients who come to our Elizabethtown clinic with a rotator cuff tear usually describe some mix of the following:
Pain on the outside of the shoulder that is worse at night or when lying on that side
Weakness lifting the arm away from the body or rotating it outward
A dull ache at rest that becomes sharp with overhead reaching
Clicking or crackling when you move the arm
Loss of motion after a specific injury, especially if you cannot lift the arm at all
Pain that starts mild and steadily worsens, with night pain and weakness, is the classic pattern. If that sounds like your shoulder, call 270-506-4888 for a same-day visit at Westport Road.
How rotator cuff tears happen
In Hardin County we see both kinds. Injury-related tears come from a single event: a fall onto an outstretched hand on ice or a ladder, a hard pull on a heavy object at work or on the farm, a sudden jerk of the arm, or a shoulder dislocation. They can happen at any age.
Wear-related tears build up over years. Repeated overhead work, sports and daily use thin the tendon, and its blood supply drops with age, so small damage stops healing. Bone spurs rubbing on the tendon speed the process. These tears usually show up in the dominant arm after 40.
Many of the shoulder injuries treated at our Elizabethtown clinic happen on the job or in a car accident. Aptiva Health evaluates and treats rotator cuff injuries under workers’ compensation and auto-injury coverage, and our team handles the claim paperwork with you.
Your first visit at Westport Road
Most rotator cuff diagnoses at our Elizabethtown clinic are made in a single visit, and you do not need an MRI before you come in.
History. Your provider asks how the pain started, whether you had a specific injury, how it behaves at night and what it stops you from doing.
Examination. Strength and motion testing of each cuff tendon shows which one is involved and how much function has been lost.
X-ray on site. Taken the same day at Westport Road to rule out arthritis, bone spurs and fractures that would change the plan.
MRI when needed. If the exam points to a tear that may need repair, an MRI is scheduled at Aptiva Health Imaging, 3615 Newburg Road in Louisville, often the same week, and your surgeon reviews it with you at your next Elizabethtown visit.
Plan. You leave with a written plan covering non-surgical options, whether surgery is likely, and your next steps.
Bring a photo ID, your insurance card, a list of medications, any prior imaging or records, and your claim information if the injury happened at work or in a vehicle. The clinic is at 529 Westport Road, Suite 2, Elizabethtown, KY 42701, open Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM, with parking at the door.
Treatment: what we try first, and when surgery is right
Not every tear needs an operation. Many partial tears, and some full-thickness tears in lower-demand shoulders, do well with rehabilitation. The full non-surgical pathway is delivered at the Westport Road clinic:
Activity modification and a short rest period to settle inflammation
Physical therapy with Simon Hoehn, PT, DPT and Dovie Brown, PTA, focused on restoring motion, strengthening the uninjured cuff muscles and correcting shoulder-blade mechanics. Dovie works one on one with patients and brings extensive experience treating orthopedic injuries and conditions
Anti-inflammatory medication when appropriate
A corticosteroid injection into the space above the tendon, which can calm pain enough to make therapy productive; our interventional pain team also practices in Elizabethtown for patients who need image-guided injections
Surgery is usually considered when a full-thickness tear follows an acute injury, when weakness persists, when three to six months of conservative care have not restored function, or when your work or sport depends on overhead strength. Your surgeon weighs tear size, tendon quality, your age and your goals before recommending repair.
Surgery day
Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair is performed through two to four small incisions. A camera lets the surgeon see the tendon, clear away inflamed tissue and bone spurs, and reattach the tendon to the upper arm bone with small anchors and sutures. The procedure typically takes one to two hours under general anesthesia with a nerve block for pain control afterward.
Surgery for Elizabethtown patients is performed in the Louisville metro area. Most repairs are outpatient, and you go home the same day; if your surgeon plans an overnight stay, for example for a larger repair or because of other health conditions, that is arranged in advance. Your pre-operative visit, where all of this is planned, happens in Elizabethtown.
Recovery and physical therapy in Hardin County
Recovery from rotator cuff repair is measured in months, not weeks, because the tendon has to heal to bone before it can be loaded.
Weeks 0 to 6: sling, passive motion only, no lifting. Follow-up visits at the Elizabethtown office.
Weeks 6 to 12: the sling comes off; supervised physical therapy begins at Westport Road, progressing from assisted motion to active motion.
Months 3 to 6: strengthening. Desk work resumes early; lifting and overhead work return gradually as strength allows.
Months 6 to 12: return to full activity, heavy labor and sports, depending on tear size and your progress.
Your surgeon and your therapy team, Simon Hoehn, PT, DPT and Dovie Brown, PTA, share the same record, so your rehab protocol matches your repair.
Risks and realistic expectations
Rotator cuff repair is a common and well-studied operation, but outcomes vary. Risks include infection, stiffness, nerve or blood vessel injury, anesthesia complications and re-tear of the repaired tendon, which is more likely with large or long-standing tears and in smokers. Most patients regain good pain relief and function; full strength takes up to a year and is not guaranteed. Your surgeon will discuss how these risks apply to your tear and your health.
Why Elizabethtown patients choose Aptiva Health for rotator cuff care
One shoulder team, one care pathway.
From the first evaluation through conservative care, surgery and rehab, you stay inside one organization. Your surgeon, the Westport Road clinic team and your physical therapists share one chart and one plan.
Conservative care first, surgery when it’s right.
Most rotator cuff problems are managed without surgery. We start with the least invasive treatment likely to work and recommend repair only when your symptoms and imaging both point to it.
Same-day shoulder evaluations in Elizabethtown.
Same-day appointments are available at the Westport Road clinic Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. Call 270-506-4888.
Follow-up and therapy close to home.
Pre-operative visits, follow-ups and physical therapy with Simon Hoehn, PT, DPT and Dovie Brown, PTA all happen in Elizabethtown. If an MRI is needed, it is scheduled at our Newburg Road imaging center in Louisville and reviewed with you at your next Elizabethtown visit.
Schedule your appointment!
When to See a Doctor
You should be evaluated by an orthopedic specialist if you have:
Shoulder pain that has not improved after four to six weeks of rest and conservative care
Weakness lifting or reaching with the arm
Shoulder pain that worsens at night or makes it hard to sleep on that side
A shoulder injury from a fall, lifting, sports, or a work or auto accident
A shoulder that is becoming progressively weaker or stiffer
Get to an emergency room or urgent care immediately if you cannot move the arm after an injury, have an obvious shoulder deformity, or have numbness or loss of circulation in the arm or hand — these can indicate a fracture, dislocation, or nerve or vascular injury.
For non-emergency shoulder evaluation, our Elizabethtown clinic at 529 Westport Road offers same-day appointments Monday through Friday. Call 270-506-4888.
Your Elizabethtown shoulder surgeon
J. Steve Smith, MD — Director of Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine Dr. Steve Smith is the Director of Orthopedic Surgery & Sports Medicine at Aptiva Health and a board-certified orthopedic surgeon. He graduated from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, trained at the University of Rochester, and completed a sports medicine fellowship at the renowned Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles, where he served on the medical staff for the Los Angeles Lakers, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Anaheim Ducks. He has performed thousands of orthopedic procedures and treats the full range of shoulder conditions, including rotator cuff tears and arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.
Your Elizabethtown clinic and physical therapy team
Aptiva Health Orthopedics, Elizabethtown: 529 Westport Road, Suite 2, Elizabethtown, KY 42701. Phone 270-506-4888. Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. On-site X-ray. Same-day appointments available.
Physical therapy at Westport Road is provided by Simon Hoehn, PT, DPT and Dovie Brown, PTA. Dovie works one on one with patients and has extensive experience treating orthopedic injuries and conditions. Your surgeon and your therapy team share one chart, so your rehab follows your surgical protocol.
MRI, when needed, is scheduled at Aptiva Health Imaging, 3615 Newburg Road, Louisville, KY 40218, and reviewed with you at your next Elizabethtown visit.
Insurance accepted: most major medical insurance, Medicare, Medicare Advantage, most Kentucky Medicaid plans, workers’ compensation, auto injury coverage (PIP and MedPay), and cash-pay.
Frequently asked questions about rotator cuff repair in Elizabethtown
Do I have to go to Louisville for rotator cuff surgery?
Your evaluation, pre-operative visits, follow-ups and physical therapy all happen at our Elizabethtown clinic on Westport Road. The surgery itself is performed in the Louisville metro area. Most rotator cuff repairs are outpatient, and you return to Elizabethtown for all follow-up care.
Can I do my physical therapy in Elizabethtown?
Yes. Simon Hoehn, PT, DPT and Dovie Brown, PTA provide physical therapy at the Westport Road clinic, working one on one with patients, and your surgeon and therapy team share one chart, so your rehab plan follows your surgical protocol.
Do I need an MRI before I am seen?
No. Most patients are evaluated first with an exam and on-site X-ray in Elizabethtown. If an MRI is needed, it is scheduled at our imaging center on Newburg Road in Louisville and your surgeon reviews it with you at your next Elizabethtown visit.
Do I need a referral to be seen in Elizabethtown?
Referral requirements depend on your insurance plan. Call 270-506-4888 and our team will check your plan and, where allowed, offer a same-day appointment.
How soon can I be seen for a shoulder injury?
Same-day appointments are available at the Elizabethtown clinic Monday through Friday, 8 AM to 5 PM. Call 270-506-4888.