Bartolo Colón active players as of June 11, 2008. Colón did not pitch in 2010 due to ongoing right shoulder and elbow pain and damage to the rotator cuff, ligaments and tendons. In March 2010, he received a transplant of stem cells to repair the damaged tissues in his right shoulder. The orthopedic surgeon who performed the surgery said he had used human growth hormone in previous surgeries of the same type but not with Colón. The surgery was scrutinized by MLB but no wrongdoing was found. Colón then played in the Pre-World Championship in Puerto Rico, winter ball with the Aguilas
Rotator cuff tear or arthritis. Superior labral anterior-posterior lesions produce pain similar to that of rotator cuff tears. Those most prone to failed rotator cuff syndrome are patients 65 years of age or older; and those with large, sustained tears. Smokers, diabetes sufferers, patients with muscle atrophy and/or fatty infiltration, and those who do not follow postoperative-care recommendations also are at greater risk. Doctors examine patients and conduct imaging tests to identify the causes of continued discomfort. Depending upon the diagnosis, several treatment alternatives are available. They include revision repair, nonanatomic repair, tendon transfer and arthroplasty. When possible, surgeons make tension-free repairs in