With the launch of Cam Newton’s YouTube channel, we know even more about the Panthers quarterback’s shoulder issues.

There had been much speculation about whether his injury involved the rotator cuff (which was first operated on in March of 2017) or labrum (some were fearing an Andrew Luck scenario).

Last week, we learned that loss of motion was a big part of the problem.

Now, on video, Newton acknowledges a significant issue in his throwing shoulder that took away his ability to throw downfield.


But the biggest piece of news came from the surgeon himself who said, “That cartilage damage was not as extensive as we had feared. It was definitely there, we knew that, it was pretty small.... If we get that motion back and keep it, we’ll be pretty good.”

(This is not a HIPAA medical privacy violation, because while the information is strictly confidential, the patient has the right to waive that. Newton put this in his video and released it to the world. Thus, it is no longer private.)

This news is significant for several reasons.

It confirms the loss of range of motion, indicates the rotator cuff and labrum are not involved and, most important, it elucidates a new injury to the cartilage.


Injury to cartilage in the shoulder likely means there is damage to his articular cartilage. That is the covering over the end of bones in his shoulder joint, which is comparable to how grass on a football field (articular cartilage) covers the underlying dirt. This, by definition, is arthritis, which can be defined as any wear and tear or injury to the articular cartilage.

The damage was said to be “pretty small.” No one wants to have any damage, but just because there is some wear and tear on the tread of your ties, it doesn’t necessarily mean your car won’t handle well anymore.

The articular cartilage damage could be from trauma, the shoulder shifting or uneven wear due to loss of motion (much like the tread on your tires can show uneven wear if the wheels are not properly aligned/balanced). The most common location for the cartilage damage is on the glenoid (socket) side, as opposed to the humeral head (ball) side.

Range of motion loss could be from several issues, including the tight timeline to return after March 2017 rotator cuff surgery. The importance of loss of motion on throwing power is like how one can’t hit a golf ball very far without a full backswing. The loss of motion could also have caused the stress leading to cartilage damage.


The main hope is for return of full motion and that there is no progression of arthritis. Loss of motion occurs over many months. The return of motion can take a jump with surgery but will require many months of physical therapy to fully return.

The news of cartilage damage helps explain why the Panthers, likely wishing to protect Newton’s privacy, were mum on the specifics.

This does indicate that Newton is not likely to play into his 40s, a la Tom Brady. Once cartilage damage happens, the hope is to slow its progression, but there is no way to reverse the clock

Assuming his motion returns, I expect the cartilage damage to have little effect in the short term. Newton should be ready to go for training camp and the 2019 season.