Shoulder Pain Pumps: Career Breakers for Young Athletes?

August 8th, 2009. By janem

Amazingly, shoulder pain pumps are still in use, even though over 2 years ago (July, 2007) the American Journal of Sports Medicine associated postarthroscopic glenohumeral chondrolysis (also known as PAGCL) with ” intra-articular pain pump catheters eluting bupivacaine with epinephrine”, i.e, shoulder pain pumps. In fact 12 out of 19 patients who were treated with this pump developed PAGCL-AKA dead cartilage.

The American Orthopedic Society for Sports Medicine concluded that “Intra-articular pain pump catheters, especially those eluting bupivacaine with epinephrine, should be avoided until further investigation.” And they’re the experts, so why has the FDA only slapped a black box warning on pain pumps?

It’s bad enough suffering a serious shoulder injury. But say you’re a healthy young athlete, at the height of your career, and your doc gives you a medical device to feel better. Instead, it makes you worse-forever. But for the use of the pain pump, you could have recovered, you could’ve been a contender!

Now, this medical device has prevented you from playing and competing in the sport you love. Shoulder pain pumps can be career breakers. Do you blame the doctor? Allegedly, pain pump manufacturers directed doctors to use the pumps in a manner not approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. But I’d be wondering why the FDA approved this device in the first place…

Tags: shoulder pain pump

This was posted on Saturday, August 8th, 2009 at 2:36 pm and is filed under Drugs/Medical . Feel free to respond, or trackback. Read our comments policy.