Rotater cuff repair

BACKGROUND: The prevalence of rotator cuff tears increases with age, and many patients undergo surgical repair. Retears are not uncommon, with rates ranging between 9% and 36% in recent studies, and are a major concern. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between patient age and the chance of healing following rotator cuff repair. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of patients who had undergone arthroscopic rotator cuff repair performed by a single surgeon...

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to compare rehabilitation protocol and operative treatment in a population of patients with a diagnosis of small to medium rotator cuff tears (≤3 cm), the null hypothesis being that there would been no difference in terms of clinical outcomes and patient's satisfaction between the rehabilitation protocol and the surgical treatment. METHODS: Patients with small to medium supraspinatus tears were retrospectively enrolled in this study and divided in 2 groups: arthroscopic repair (group A, 20 patients) and reinstated (group B, 18 patients)...

BACKGROUND: Subacromial corticosteroid injections (CSI's) are a common non-surgical treatment for rotator cuff tears. Few studies have assessed the effects of pre-operative CSI's on postoperative functional outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was conducted of 132 patients with high-grade, partial-thickness rotator cuff tears (PTRCT's). The subjects were divided into two groups based on whether they received a CSI or not. The CSI group was further divided into three subgroups based on when they received a pre-operative injection: 0-3 months, 3-6 months, >6 months before surgery...

BACKGROUND: Mechanical factors are at the basis of any tendon healing process, being pressure an aspect able to positively influence it. For this reason transosseous rotator cuff repair represents the gold standard procedure for patients affected by a cuff tear, maximizing the tendon footprint contact area and reducing motion at the tendon to bone interface. METHODS: The Authors present an all arthroscopic suture bridge-like transosseous repair with the preparation of a single transosseous tunnel perfor med thanks to a precise dedicated instrument (Compasso®) and one implant (Elite-SPK®) with the use of only 3 suture wires...

Understanding upper limb strength requirements for daily tasks is imperative for early detection of strength loss that may progress to disability due to age or rotator cuff tear. We quantified shoulder strength requirements for five upper limb tasks performed by three groups: uninjured young adults and older adults, and older adults with a degenerative supraspinatus tear prior to repair. Musculoskeletal models were developed for each group representing age, sex, and tear-related strength losses. Percentage of available strength used was quantified for the subset of tasks requiring the largest amount of shoulder strength...

OBJECTIVES: The aim was to assess the diagnostic performance of magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA) of the shoulder for the detection of "Fosbury flop" tears. METHODS: All patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair were considered as potentially eligible for inclusion in this prospective case series. Preoperative MRAs were consecutively performed and compared with intraoperative findings being the gold standard control. Two experienced musculoskeletal radiologists, blinded to the arthroscopic findings, independently analyzed all MRAs for the presence of typical signs of Fosbury flop tears...

This Technical Note presents an arthroscopic technique to repair rotator cuff tears using a constant intra-articular (glenohumeral) portal for visualization. The smoothness of both the humeral head cartilage and the articular side of the rotator cuff offers a cleaner arthroscopic approach, while the absence of a subacromial bursa also reduces bleeding, turbidity, and the need for iterative soft tissue debridement. It also facilitates the recognition and repair of certain tear patterns. The intra-articular perspective allows the surgeon to visualize how stitches pierce the tissue in a desired and resistant area of the tendon...

Irreducible shoulder dislocation is an uncommon event. When it does occur, blocks to reduction can include bone, labrum, rotator cuff musculature, or tendon. Concomitant rotator cuff tear at the time of initial dislocation is not an exclusive complication of anterior shoulder dislocation in the older population. Indeed, rotator cuff tear should not be excluded based solely on the patient's age. Rotator cuff interposition is not an uncommon complication after anterior dislocation of the shoulder. It should be suspected when there is incongruency of the joint and persistent subluxation on postreduction radiographs...

Despite the vast improvement in techniques for arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery, repairs of massive and large tears remain an issue as they are associated with significantly high failure rates, particularly in the elderly population. As a result, there has been a focus of attention to improve rotator cuff repair healing rates. One of the strategies is augmentation of the repair with a patch. Arthroscopic augmentation is, however, technically demanding with challenges in introduction and stabilization of the patch...

BACKGROUND: This study investigated the efficacy of the bridging repair using an acellular dermal matrix (ADM) and an ADM with stem cells in rabbits. Also investigated were clinical outcomes of ADM bridging repair for large to massive rotator cuff tears. MATERIALS AND METHODS: ADM, with and without stem cells, was used to cover a 5- × 5-mm-sized cuff defect in 17 rabbits, and biomechanical, histologic, and immunohistochemical analyses were conducted. Also evaluated were 24 patients with large to massive rotator cuff tears after ADM bridging repair...

Study Design Systematic review. Background Electromyography (EMG) has previously been used to guide postoperative rehabilitation progression following rotator cuff repair, to prevent deleterious loading of early surgical repair. Objective To review the current literature investigating EMG during rehabilitation exercises in normal shoulders, to identify exercises that meet a cut point of ≤15% maximal voluntary isometric contraction (MVIC) and unlikely to result in excessive loading in the early postoperative stages...

BACKGROUND: This study is a collation of baseline demographic characteristics of those presenting for rotator cuff repair in New Zealand, and exploration of associations with preoperative function and pain. Data were obtained from the New Zealand Rotator Cuff Registry; a multicentre, nationwide prospective cohort of rotator cuff repairs undertaken from 1 March 2009 until 31 December 2010. METHODS: A total of 1383 patients were included in the study. This required complete demographic information, preoperative Flex-SF (functional score) and pain scores...

Rotator cuff tears in young overhead sports athletes are rare. The pathomechanism causing rotator cuff tears in young overhead athletes is different from that in aged patients. The purpose of this study was to investigate rotator cuff tear characteristics in young overhead sports athletes to reveal the pathomechanism causing these injuries. This study included 25 overhead sports athletes less than 30 years old with atraumatic rotator cuff tears necessitating repair. Rotator cuff tear characteristics were evaluated intraoperatively, including rotator cuff tear shape and injured rotator cuff tendon...

Only select tissues and organs are able to spontaneously regenerate after disease or trauma, and this regenerative capacity diminishes over time. Human stem cell research explores therapeutic regenerative approaches to treat various conditions. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are derived from adult stem cells; they are multipotent and exert anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects. They can differentiate into multiple cell types of the mesenchyme, for example, endothelial cells, osteoblasts, chondrocytes, fibroblasts, tenocytes, vascular smooth muscle cells, and sarcomere muscular cells...

AIM: The role of acromioplasty with rotator cuff repair remains unclear. This study aims to test the null hypothesis-that acromioplasty in conjunction with rotator cuff repair has no effect on improvement in pain or shoulder function at two years follow up. METHODS: Data was obtained from a collaborative nationwide project between March 2009 and December 2010, and consisted of a total of 2,441 patients undergoing primary repair of superior rotator cuff tears. Multivariate analysis was performed to assess the effect of the inclusion of acromioplasty at the time of rotator cuff repair on visual analogue scale (VAS) pain scores and Flex Shoulder Function (Flex SF) scores at 24-month follow up...

BACKGROUND: Arthroscopic rotator cuff (RC) repair incorporates suture anchors to secure torn RC tendons to the greater tuberosity (GT) bone. RC repair strength depends on the anchor-bone interface and on the quality of the GT. We evaluated the effect of single and multiple corticosteroid injections on the pullout strength of suture anchors. METHODS: Fifty rats were divided into those receiving saline solution injection (control group), a single methylprednisolone acetate (MTA) injection (MTA1 group), or 3 once-weekly MTA injections (MTA3 group)...

BACKGROUND: The rationale for rotator cuff repair surgery is that better integrity of the cuff should be associated with better comfort and function. However, in patients with cuff disease, there is not good evidence that the degree of rotator cuff integrity is closely associated with the shoulder's comfort, function, or active motion. The goal of this study was to explore these relationships in shoulders with surgically documented cuff disease. METHODS: In 55 shoulders having surgery for cuff-related symptoms, we correlated the preoperative Simple Shoulder Test score with the objectively measured preoperative active shoulder motion and with the integrity of the cuff observed at surgery...

PURPOSE: To provide a comparative 30-day postoperative analysis of complications and unplanned readmission rates, using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database, after open or arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (RCR). METHODS: The American College of Surgeons National Surgical Quality Improvement Program database was reviewed for postoperative complications after open or arthroscopic RCR over an 8-year period, from 2007 through 2014. Patients were identified by use of Current Procedural Terminology codes...

PURPOSE: Hyaluronate-based anti-adhesive agents are expected to enhance rotator cuff healing; however, their effect on the incidence and extent of postoperative complications such as stiffness and retears has not been investigated. METHODS: From July 2012 to February 2013, 80 patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair surgery were prospectively enrolled. Forty patients were assigned to the control group, while the other 40 were assigned to the injection group and received a Guardix-sol injection immediately after surgery...

PURPOSE: To assess the effect of medial-row knots on self-reinforcement and footprint contact characteristics for transosseous-equivalent repair compared with the same construct without knots. METHODS: In 8 fresh-frozen human shoulders, transosseous-equivalent repairs with and without medial-row mattress knots were performed in each specimen. A pressure sensor was fixed at the tendon-footprint interface for all repairs. Parameters measured included footprint contact area, force, and pressure...