Caleb Davis, M.D.

03/12/2026

Comparative Review of Superior Capsule Reconstruction and Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty for Irreparable Rotator Cuff Tear.

Rotator cuff tears are a prevalent cause of shoulder dysfunction, particularly in aging populations, with conservative treatments often proving ineffective for massive or irreparable tears. When non-surgical options fail, superior capsule reconstruction (SCR) and reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA)....

03/12/2026

Why the biceps can be a major cause of shoulder pain

Full Episode on YouTube/Spotify/Apple

Most people think of the biceps as the muscle you flex in your arm, but from an orthopedic standpoint, it plays an important role in the shoulder too.

At the elbow, the biceps attaches through the distal biceps tendon at the radius.
Up near the shoulder, it has:

a long head that travels through the bicipital groove

a short head that attaches to the coracoid and blends into the conjoint tendon

The important clinical point: the long head of the biceps is the one that tends to give patients the most trouble.

So when someone has pain in the front of the shoulder, the biceps tendon is often part of the story.

If you’ve ever wondered why “biceps pain” can actually feel like shoulder pain, this is why.

03/05/2026

Patient psychology matters: Lessons learned from the MOON Shoulder Group.

We found both the [Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index (WOSI)] score and the [American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons] score correlates significantly with this PAS scale.

02/26/2026

Non-Surgical Treatments for Rotator Cuff Tears.

When the symptoms of a rotator cuff tear are acute, meaning there is a sudden flare-up of symptoms, it may be helpful to rest the shoulder to allow the inflammation of the injury to settle down.

02/24/2026

Watch Labrum Episode Part 2 on all platforms!

Why does a shoulder keep popping out?

Because instability isn’t just about a torn labrum.

When the shoulder dislocates forward:
• The labrum detaches from the socket
• The front ligaments stretch out — especially the inferior glenohumeral ligament

In surgery, we:
– Restore the labral bumper
– Perform a capsulorrhaphy (tighten the capsule)
– Reduce the dead space in the front of the joint

That combination is what truly restores stability and lowers recurrence risk.

If you’ve had multiple dislocations, this is why a comprehensive repair matters.

02/23/2026

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with KET to talk about shoulder health, common injuries, and when surgery actually makes sense.

We covered:
• Rotator cuff tears
• Shoulder arthritis
• When to try therapy vs. when to consider surgery

I had a great time recording this and appreciate the chance to help educate patients in a clear, honest way.

If you or someone you know struggles with shoulder pain, this is a helpful overview.

Shoulder specialist Caleb Davis, M.D., discusses shoulder injury prevention, treatment and recovery.

02/23/2026

New Episode out now!

When someone tells me they’ve dislocated their shoulder 15 or 20 times, I know we’re not just dealing with a simple labral tear.

Every dislocation:

• Damages the labrum
• Enlarges the Hill-Sachs lesion
• Erodes the socket bone

CT scans are critical in these cases because they show bone loss better than MRI.

We measure how much of the glenoid socket remains.

If more than ~20% is gone, a standard soft tissue repair often fails.

That’s when procedures like:

• Latarjet
• Distal tibia bone graft

become necessary to restore stability.

The longer you wait, the more complex the solution becomes.

If you or your athlete has recurrent shoulder instability, early evaluation matters.

02/19/2026

Shoulder Pain When Throwing a Ball.

The throwing motion causes very high torque and acceleration forces that act on the shoulder joint and the muscles, ligaments, and tendons that surround the joint.

02/15/2026

Have you ever felt a sharp pop in your elbow while lifting — followed by bruising or weakness?

That’s a common story for a distal biceps tendon tear.

Warning signs include:
• Immediate pain and swelling
• Bruising in the front of the elbow
• Sudden strength loss when turning your palm up

Not everyone develops the classic “Popeye” deformity, so don’t rely on appearance alone.

Partial tears may improve with rest and therapy.
True ruptures often require early surgical repair.

The longer you wait, the more difficult surgery can become.

If you’ve experienced a pop with weakness or bruising after lifting, get it checked out.

02/15/2026

How MRI Helps Diagnose Frozen Shoulder

One of the most reliable imaging signs of frozen shoulder isn’t a rotator cuff tear — it’s capsular change.

Two big clues:

1️⃣ Thickening of the rotator interval (between supraspinatus and subscapularis).
2️⃣ Loss of the axillary recess — the “extra capsule” at the bottom of the humeral head that allows overhead motion.

If that recess disappears, the shoulder physically loses its ability to move.

You typically don’t see that shrinking with rotator cuff tears or labral tears.

It’s one of the clearest imaging findings for adhesive capsulitis.

02/13/2026

Most people think of the shoulder like the hip — a ball sitting in a deep socket.

It’s not.

The shoulder socket (the glenoid) is extremely shallow — more like a golf tee. That design gives you incredible range of motion… but it sacrifices built-in stability.

That’s where the labrum comes in.

The labrum is a 360° ring of cartilage that:
• Deepens the socket
• Anchors the capsule and ligaments
• Helps keep the shoulder stable

When the labrum tears, that’s when instability can start — especially in athletes, lifters, and patients with dislocations.

Understanding the anatomy helps you understand the injury.

If you’ve ever had shoulder instability or a labral tear, this explains why it happens.

02/09/2026

Clinical Challenges in Managing Shoulder Osteoarthritis and Suprascapular Neuropathy.

Chronic shoulder pain is a common and multifactorial condition. Suprascapular nerve neuropathy, although relatively uncommon, may lead to pain, weakness, and muscle atrophy as a result of extrinsic compression, trauma, or inflammation. When it occurs in the presence of glenohumeral osteoarthritis, o...