Project description:Partial-thickness rotator cuff tears are among the most common challenges faced by orthopaedic surgeons today. The ability to adequately manage these injuries depends on identifying their full extent during arthroscopic evaluation. There are many ways to fully visualize these tears, including arm positioning and gentle debridement. The purpose of this article is to highlight several tips and techniques to enable full visualization of partial-thickness rotator cuff tears to determine appropriate treatment.
Project description:Recent attention has turned toward the prevention of acromiohumeral abutment in the treatment of irreparable rotator cuff tears (IRCTs). This can be achieved through tendon transfer with a bridging allograft, superior capsular reconstruction, dermal allograft application to the greater tuberosity (biologic tuberoplasty), bursal acromial reconstruction, or subacromial balloon spacer placement. Recent literature has demonstrated increased graft thickness is associated with improved clinical outcomes after superior capsular reconstruction, suggesting a potential role of a direct bone-to-bone contact between the greater tuberosity and acromion in symptom generation in patients with IRCTs. In keeping with this ethos and building on the principle of both biologic tuberoplasty and bursal acromial reconstruction, the authors propose biologic acromiotuberoplasty as a treatment for IRCTs wherein a 3-mm dermal allograft is fixated to both the greater tuberosity of the humerus and the undersurface of the acromion for a total of 6 mm of allograft interposition.
Project description:Rotator cuff tears are extremely common in the adult population, and medial transtendinous rotator cuff tears, although rare, have recently been reported in the literature. These tears are almost always traumatic, which is a common indication for surgical management. It is necessary to consider these tears as a distinct subset when planning for rotator cuff repair because traditional repair techniques would overtension the tendon, increasing the risk for failure of the repair. The objective of this Technical Note is to describe an arthroscopic repair technique for these tears that avoids overtensioning the rotator cuff while still using repair techniques that are familiar to the arthroscopic shoulder surgeon.
Project description:PurposeTo determine whether anterior cable tears could be identified at the time of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair and determine the characteristics of the anterior cable tears identified.MethodsFrom 2016 to 2017 all shoulder arthroscopies had data collected prospectively at the time of surgery, specifically including injury to the capsular and tendon zones of insertion on the greater tuberosity. Anterior cable position and degree of injury and medialization were recorded, as well as complete findings of the diagnostic arthroscopy. The inclusion criterion was primary shoulder arthroscopy. The exclusion criterion was any revision shoulder arthroscopy. All arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs (ARCR) were grouped together and all other nonarthroscopic rotator cuff repair surgeries (non-ARCR) were grouped together.ResultsIn total, 118 shoulder arthroscopies had data collected prospectively at the time of surgery: 90 primary shoulder arthroscopies met the inclusion criteria; 28 were excluded because they were revision surgeries. There were 42 patients in the ARCR group (Group 1). Six of these were partial tears, and 36 were full-thickness tears. There were 48 patients in the non-ARCR group (Group 2). The non-ARCR Group 2 served as an anatomic baseline for ARCR Group 1. In all 90 shoulders, the rotator cable and anterior cable were identified. Group 1 (ARCR) incidence of anterior cable tears with abnormal position was 71.4% compared to 2.1% in group 2 (non-ARCR) (P < .001) Group 1 (ARCR) incidence of anterior cable tears with normal anterior cable position (n = 12) was compared to abnormal anterior cable position (n = 30). Injury to the anterior footprint capsular and tendon zones were compared. Normal anterior cable position correlated with no or low-grade injury to anterior footprint capsular zone. (Nimura zone C1). Abnormal anterior cable displacement graded as moderate (n = 20) and severe (n = 10) were compared for injury to the anterior footprint. Moderate displacement correlated with complete or high grade injury to C1 in 85% and complete injury to R1 in 45% (P < .001 and .049). In severe displacement complete C1 injury was 100%, and complete R1 injury was 100% (P < .001 and .001).ConclusionsAnterior cable tears are universally identified in ARCR. Three patterns of medial displacement severity correlated with injury to a crucial insertion zone (C1) at the anterior footprint. The degree of anterior cable disruption at the anterior footprint and displacement was commonly disproportionately greater than the injury to the supraspinatus.Level of evidenceLevel III, diagnostic study.
Project description:We present our technique in managing high-grade bursal-sided rotator cuff tears. In this technique, the remaining intact cuff tissue is not sacrificed. The suture bridge technique is used to uniformly tension the torn tissue to the rotator cuff footprint. No knots are tied on the rotator cuff to minimize the tension on the cuff. The sutures are then anchored on the lateral cortex of the humerus. This technique allows repair with minimum tension while preserving the original length of the rotator cuff.
Project description:Massive irreparable rotator cuff tears in young patients are a particular challenge for the orthopaedic surgeon. Surgical treatment options include debridement, partial rotator cuff repair, patch-augmented rotator cuff repair, bridging rotator cuff reconstruction with graft interposition, tendon transfer, and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. Recently, reconstruction of the superior glenohumeral capsule using a fascia lata autograft has been suggested to reduce superior glenohumeral translation and restore superior stability. Promising clinical results have been reported in 1 case series of 23 patients, indicating that superior capsular reconstruction may be a promising tool to manage massive irreparable rotator cuff tears. This article describes our preferred technique for arthroscopic superior capsule reconstruction.
Project description:Several treatment options for chronic, massive rotator cuff tears exist, and they include debridement with possible biceps tenotomy or tenodesis, open or arthroscopic partial repair, muscle or tendon transfer, superior capsule reconstruction, synthetic patch augmentation, and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. The aim of this technique article is to describe our preferred surgical option for irreparable, massive rotator cuff tears with an irreparable supraspinatus, a reparable infraspinatus, and an intact or reparable subscapularis tendon.
Project description:The treatment of massive, retracted rotator cuff tears remains a significant challenge to orthopaedic surgeons. While debridement and partial repair has been described as a viable option, surgeons seeking to perform a complete repair often must employ advanced mobilization techniques to lateralize retracted immobile rotator cuff tissue. Tears that appear irreparable often may be effectively mobilized with elements of capsular release, anterior interval slide, or posterior interval slide. When rotator cuff tissue is mobilized to the medial aspect of the anatomic footprint, a low-tension repair can be performed with good clinical outcomes.
Project description:The intraoperative recognition of rotator cuff tears continues to be a challenge in some cases, despite clinical suspicion, a physical examination suggesting a rotator cuff tear, and detection on preoperative imaging studies. Intraoperative identification can be elusive in partial tears including intratendinous tears and obscured full-thickness tears. The purpose of this Technical Note, and the associated technique video, is to discuss a visual sign for the detection of various rotator cuff tear pathologies. Derived from the dynamic fluid expansion and contraction of the affected tissues, this indicator is termed the arthroscopic "bellows" sign.
Project description:Techniques in rotator cuff repair are constantly evolving, with the main goal of a biologic, stable, and tension-free construct. Significant controversy exists between various methods, and there is no gold standard surgical protocol. We demonstrate an alternative arthroscopic rotator cuff repair technique with 2 key components. First, we performed a transosseous equivalent, suture bridge technique with a combination of triple-loaded medial anchors and knotless lateral anchors. Second, we incorporated 2-strand and 3-strand suture shuttling through the torn rotator cuff and selective medial knot-tying. A total of 6 passes through the tendon are made, comprising 1-2-3-3-2-1 strands each pass. This minimizes the number of passes through the tendon and the overall number of medial knots. Our technique retains the known biomechanical advantages akin to a double-row repair, including less gap formation and wider footprint coverage. In addition, using fewer medial knots with efficient suture passing may result to decreased cuff strangulation and favorable biologic environment for tendon healing. We theorize that this technique may yield lower retear rates while maintaining immediate stability, translating to improved clinical results.