Understanding Kobe Bryant’s Rotator Cuff Injury and the Uncertainty It Brings

• Post By: Jeff Stotts
• Date: January 22, 2015
• Category: NBA, Understanding...

For the third straight season Kobe Bryant has been diagnosed with a significant injury. After working his way back from an Achilles rupture and a tibial plateau fracture, Bryant has now suffered a torn rotator cuff muscle in his right shooting shoulder.

The injury appears to have occurred following a dunk in the team’s loss to New Orleans on Wednesday. Bryant played a stretch of the game left-handed before being removed in obvious discomfort. The former MVP attempted to downplay the injury following the game but a subsequent MRI revealed the tear.

The rotator cuff is actually a muscle group and not a specific muscle. It is comprised of four muscles, the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis. Together these muscles surround the head of the upper arm bone, the humerus, and, along with the labrum, help stabilize the shoulder. As it name suggests, the rotator cuff is also responsible for rotation around this axis and allows for a high degree of mobility.

Rotator cuff injuries generally involve the tendons of the muscle group. The tendons of each of these muscles pass through a tiny window in the shoulder. This positioning leaves them vulnerable to chronic injury with repetitive motion. Cuff tears of this nature are common in baseball as pitchers can easily irritate the area with the overhead throwing motion. Acute tears remain possible following extreme stress on the area.

Bryant’s injury appears to be acute in nature but could have a chronic component. Following Wednesday’s game Kobe admitted the shoulder has been a problem for a while and was simply irritated with the dunk. It’s possible that Bryant entered the game with an inflamed cuff that finally tore following the dunking motion.

Furthermore it should be noted that this isn’t the first time Bryant’s right shoulder has been a problem. Bryant suffered a shoulder injury during the 2003 playoffs and played through the pain. However surgery was required in the offseason to repair a frayed labrum and inflamed bursa. As a result, the overall integrity of the shoulder joint was likely at risk especially when you factor in his career workload and age.

The looming question remains, where do the Lakers go from here? The answer remains a bit unclear. It’s possible to play with a torn rotator cuff, even more so if the tear is incomplete. Last season San Antonio Spurs guard Patty Mills played through a torn rotator cuff during the team’s run to the title but ultimately required surgery in the offseason and missed 31 games this year recovering.

The team could elect to treat Bryant’s symptoms with anti-inflammatories and rest before rehabbing the muscle but there’s no guarantee it will help in the long-term. The involved muscle and any potential labrum damage would also factor into the team’s decision. Regardless, surgery appears inevitable as 10 of the last 16 NBA players to suffer a Grade 2 or higher rotator cuff injury ultimately went under the knife.

For now the Lakers will spend the next few days exploring their options before deciding which course of treatment to pursue. While Kobe’s relentless mindset will aid any attempted comeback, it remains to be seen if his body is physically capable of responding. He’s missed 84 games to injury over the last three seasons and rested for eight additional outings. Now facing another significant injury, it seems likely Bryant will be limited for the remainder of this season and enter the final year of his contract with lingering questions about his health and availability.