Beasley, Allen, Crow, Methvin, Portis & Miles, P.C.

Justin was just 17 years old when he was diagnosed with chondrolysis of his right shoulder. The condition occurs when the cartilage in the shoulder joint wears away causing bone to rub against bone. For more than a year, Justin suffered from such incredible pain that he was not able to use his right arm for even small tasks of everyday life, like combing his hair or putting on a shirt. The pain even kept him awake at night. But even more disappointing, Justin wasn’t able to compete as a swimmer, something he had participated in and trained for since he was just 7 years old.

Shoulder chondrolysis is a condition that more and more people who have had previous shoulder repair surgery have been diagnosed with. It was the surgeons who first realized that what caused these patients to develop the serious shoulder ailment was the pain pump device used during and after surgery to deaden pain in the shoulder joint. Doctors later learned that pain pump manufacturers were instructing surgeons to use the devices in a manner that was not approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Unfortunately, there is no cure for chondrolysis and many patients who suffer from the condition must undergo shoulder replacement surgery.

For Justin, relief came in November 2008, when he had a humeral head transplant. The surgery was performed by Dr. Brian Cole with The Cartilage Restoration Center at Rush. Since then, Justin’s right arm mobility has been restored and he is back to living an active lifestyle.

Source: Life Active with Rush

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