Rotator Cuff Repair · Dallas, Texas
Rotator cuff repair is one of the operations Dr. Raynor performs most often, from tears after an injury to the large and revision repairs that other surgeons refer to him.
Board Certified in Orthopaedic Surgery and Orthopaedic Sports Medicine · Fellowship-Trained in Vail
Or call (214) 265-3211
D Magazine Best Doctors, every year since 2019
Team physician, U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team
Team physician for Dallas ISD, Highland Park, St. Mark's, Ursuline and Hockaday
Residency at Vanderbilt; sports medicine fellowship in Vail
Just hurt your shoulder? Fast Track. You do not need a diagnosis or an MRI first. New shoulder injuries, including rotator cuff tears and shoulder dislocations, are typically seen within 1 to 3 business days.
Sound familiar?
Pain at night that wakes you up
Weakness lifting your arm overhead
A tear after a fall or a heavy lift
Physical therapy that has not helped
Told your tear is large or massive
A repair that has torn again
Told you need rotator cuff surgery?
The first question is which kind of tear you have. A tear from an injury that left the arm weak does better when it is repaired within the first few months; a worn-in tear usually earns a real trial of physical therapy before anyone operates. Dr. Raynor sorts out which one you have, whether surgery is the right call, and exactly how he would do it.
What to bring
Your MRI images, not just the report
The MRI report
Your operative report, if that shoulder has had surgery
Notes from any earlier visits
Why Dr. Raynor
Including large and revision repairs that other surgeons refer to him.
Tears from an injury that left the arm weak do better repaired early, so that conversation happens early. Worn-in tears usually start with therapy. He will tell you which you have.
Arthroscopic, through four small portals, with a double row of anchors that presses the whole width of the tendon against the bone, and the biceps tendon addressed at the same time so it does not keep hurting afterward.
He reads the MRI for tendon quality, retraction and muscle wasting before promising a repair, and a revision starts with why the first repair failed and what tissue is left to work with.
Outpatient surgery with a nerve block, six weeks in a sling, strengthening from three months, most patients doing what they want by six months.
Vanderbilt residency, sports medicine fellowship at the Steadman Philippon Research Institute in Vail, published research on shoulder instability and shoulder pain, instructor at AANA Masters Courses, and reviewer for the American Journal of Sports Medicine since 2016.
Dr. M. Brett Raynor
Thank you Dr. Raynor for using your amazing God given surgical talents and abilities for my very successful shoulder surgery. Your professional and excellent personal care is appreciated. I am on the road to a complete recovery. You are the Best!
CD · Shoulder Surgery
Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, double-row, through four small portals, with the biceps tendon addressed at the same surgery (biceps tenodesis) when it is a source of pain
Repair of large and massive tears, including the options when a tear cannot be fully repaired
Revision rotator cuff repair for repairs done elsewhere that have torn again
Partial-thickness tear treatment, from therapy to repair, depending on depth and symptoms
Shoulder replacement and reverse shoulder replacement when a cuff tear has led to arthritis
Dr. Raynor is a Dallas rotator cuff surgeon who evaluates and treats rotator cuff tears every clinic day. How he performs rotator cuff repair, step by step.
Watch Dr. Raynor walk through the repair step by step, and see what he looks for on your MRI.
Narrated animation · Read the transcript
Video · Read the transcript
New to rotator cuff tears? Dr. Raynor explains what the rotator cuff is and what a tear means.
A tear from an injury that left the arm weak does better when it is repaired within the first few months. A worn-in tear usually earns a real trial of physical therapy first. The MRI and the story of how it started tell Dr. Raynor which kind you have. Rotator cuff tears: symptoms, diagnosis and treatment.
Arthroscopically, through four small portals, with a double row of anchors that presses the whole width of the tendon flat against the bone, and the biceps tendon moved at the same time so it does not keep hurting afterward. Outpatient, with a nerve block. Watch the repair, step by step.
Six weeks in a sling, strengthening from three months, most patients doing what they want by six months. The tendon heals, then gets strong over a few months. Pain varies; it is not an operation where you feel good right away. The recovery roadmap, week by week.
Some can still be repaired, some need a different plan. Dr. Raynor reads the MRI for tendon quality, retraction and muscle wasting before promising a repair. Massive and irreparable rotator cuff tears: the options.
Often, yes. Revision rotator cuff repair starts with why the first repair failed and what tissue is left to work with. Revision rotator cuff repair.
Yes, and it is a routine part of Dr. Raynor’s practice. Bring your MRI images and report, and your operative report if that shoulder has had surgery. He will go through the images with you, tell you what kind of tear you have and whether it needs repair, and explain exactly how he would do it. What a rotator cuff second opinion with Dr. Raynor involves.
Request an appointment and his team will call you to schedule. Bring your MRI if you have one.
Medically reviewed by M. Brett Raynor, M.D., board-certified orthopaedic sports medicine surgeon. Updated November 2026.