Arthroscopic repair of partial-thickness tears of the rotator cuff

Management of partial-thickness tears of the rotator cuff should include consideration of tear size, tear depth, patient age and activity level, and tear etiology. We present an arthroscopic technique for repair of articular surface partial-thickness tears that may promote healing by closing the tendon side-to-side, placing the debrided tendon end in contact with an abraded humeral surface. By repairing selected partial-thickness tears, progression of the tear and the need for subsequent repair may be prevented. Our preliminary results in 28 patients are encouraging and suggest that this technique is a useful adjunct to tendon debridement for articular surface partial-thickness tears of the rotator cuff.Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic and Related Surgery, Vol 17, No 2 (February), 2001: pp 219–223     

Arthroscopic repair of partial-thickness tears of the rotator cuff

This study prospectively evaluated the clinical outcome of 41 patients who underwent arthroscopic repair of a significant (>50% thickness) partial-thickness supraspinatus tear. Tears were converted to full-thickness lesions and repaired with suture anchors and simple sutures. Of the tears, 80% (33/41) involved the articular surface. The mean age of the patients was 49 years (range, 23-70 years), and the mean follow-up was 38 months (range, 24-50 months). All patients had improvements in range of motion and strength. Postoperative isometric strength measurements revealed no significant difference between the operative and asymptomatic shoulder. Significant improvements were demonstrated for American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores (from 42 to 93 points, P < .001), pain relief (from 6.5 to 0.8 points, P < .001), and satisfaction (from 3.0 to 9.2 points, P < .001). Of the 41 patients, 40 (98%) were satisfied with their outcome. This study documented the successful clinical outcome of arthroscopic repair of significant partial-thickness rotator cuff tears.     

肩袖滑囊侧部分撕裂的关节镜手术治疗

目的 探讨关节镜治疗肩袖滑囊侧部分撕裂的手术方法 和临床效果.方法 对2002年6月至2007年12月行关节镜手术的57例肩袖滑囊侧部分撕裂患者进行回顾性分析.男性34例,女性15例,年龄25～71岁,平均年龄49.7岁.左肩15例,右肩34例,涉及优势侧41例.根据Ellman分类标准,Ⅰ度7例,Ⅱ度6例,Ⅲ度36例.术前均拍摄肩关节正位和冈上肌出口位X线片,29例行B超检查,36例行MRI或磁共振血管造影检查.Ⅰ度及Ⅱ度患者行肩峰下间隙减压及肩袖清理术;Ⅲ度患者行肩峰下间隙减压及肩袖修复术.肩袖修复方式:3例直接行断端缝合,26例应用缝合锚钉行肩袖止点重建,7例联合应用断端缝合及缝合锚钉技术.分别在术前和最终随访时采用UCLA肩关节评分标准进行评价.手术前UCLA评分平均为(16.5±2.4)分.其中疼痛评分平均为(2.9±1.0)分,功能评分平均为(5.4±1.2)分,肩关节主动前屈评分平均为(4.3±1.1)分,前屈肌力评分平均为(4.0±0.4)分.结果 49例患者均获得随访,随访时间2～7年,平均48个月.手术后平均UCLA评分为(32.1±3.8)分.其中疼痛评分平均为(8.4±1.7)分,功能评分平均为(9.1±1.4)分,肩关节主动前屈评分平均(4.9±0.2)分,前屈肌力评分平均为(4.8±0.4),与术前比较差异均具有统计学意义(均为P=0.000).优16例,良31例,差2例.47例患者对手术效果表示满意.结论 关节镜手术是治疗肩袖滑囊侧部分撕裂的有效方法 .手术创伤小、恢复快.     

Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in elite rugby players

Background

Rugby is an increasingly popular collision sport. A wide spectrum of injuries can be sustained during training and match play. Rotator cuff injury is uncommon in contact sports and there is little published literature on the treatment of rotator cuff tears in rugby players.

Aims

We therefore reviewed the results and functional outcomes of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in elite rugby players.

Materials and Methods

Eleven professional rugby players underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair at our hospital over a 2-year period. We collected data on these patients from the operative records. The patients were recalled for outcome scoring and ultrasound scans.

Results

There were seven rugby league players and four rugby union players, including six internationals. Their mean age was 25.7 years. All had had a traumatic episode during match play and could not return to the game after the injury. The mean time to surgery was 5 weeks. The mean width of the cuff tear was 1.8 cm. All were full- thickness cuff tears. Associated injuries included two Bankart lesions, one bony Bankart lesion, one posterior labral tear, and two 360° labral tears. The biceps was involved in three cases. Two were debrided and a tenodesis was performed in one. Repair was with suture anchors. Following surgery, all patients underwent a supervised accelerated rehabilitation programme. The final follow-up was at 18 months (range: 6–31 months) post surgery. The Constant scores improved from 44 preoperatively to 99 at the last follow-up. The mean score at 3 months was 95. The Oxford shoulder score improved from 34 to 12, with the mean third month score being 18. The mean time taken to return to full match play at the preinjury level was 4.8 months. There were no complications in any of the patients and postoperative scans in nine patients confirmed that the repairs had healed.

Conclusion

We conclude that full-thickness rotator cuff tears in the contact athlete can be addressed successfully by arthroscopic repair, with a rapid return to preinjury status.     

Arthroscopic repair of large and massive rotator cuff tears

Purpose:The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome of arthroscopically repaired large and massive rotator cuff tears at 1- to 5-year follow-up.Type of Study:Retrospective chart review.Methods:Sixty consecutive patients who had arthroscopically repairable large or massive tears were identified by retrospective chart review. Large tears are defined as defects in the cuff measuring from 3 to 5 cm and massive tears measuring greater than 5 cm. Ten of these patients were lost to follow-up before 1 year postoperatively and were excluded from the study. The remaining 50 were the focus of this study.Results:Thirty-seven patients had large tears and 13 had massive tears. Follow-up averaged 32 months (range, 12 to 63 months). Based on the University of California Los Angeles shoulder rating, 88% of patients had good or excellent outcomes. Although 6 patients were considered failures based on the UCLA score, 98% of patients were satisfied with the result. Only 1 of these failures underwent a second operation for revision repair. There was no significant difference in final scores when comparing the massive tears to the entire group, but all preoperative scores were lower for those with massive tears than the large tears.Conclusions:Arthroscopic management of large and massive tears results in good or excellent outcomes in 88% of patients, which is comparable to reported outcomes following open repairs.     

Arthroscopic debridement and acromioplasty versus mini-open repair in the treatment of significant partial-thickness rotator cuff tears.

Partial tears of the rotator cuff, especially of the articular side, have received attention only with the recent ability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and arthroscopy to diagnose these lesions. Several early reports showed nearly 100% success in managing these lesions with arthroscopic debridement with or without acromioplasty. This series compares 32 patients with significant partial-thickness rotator cuff tears treated with debridement and acromioplasty versus 33 patients with mini-open repair. Follow-up was from 2 to 7 years. Preoperative MRI was not useful; when positive, preoperative arthrography was useful for articular side tears. Of the tears, 12% were bursal side tears and the remainder were articular side tears; all were at least 50% or more of the thickness of the tendon. A significant number of the arthroscopic group had fair results by UCLA score criteria. Three patients reruptured the remaining cuff later despite adequate acromioplasty. Healing of the partial tear was never observed at second-look arthroscopy. Although postoperative pain was significantly greater and recovery slower with open repair, no patient was reoperated on and rerupture of the repair did not occur. The outstanding results of prior studies of cuff debridement were not duplicated in this series of cuff debridements with long-term follow-up. Adequate acromioplasty alone does not prophylactically prevent rotator cuff tear progression. Recognition and repair of these significant partial tears may be advisable for the long-term function of the shoulder despite short-term improvement in morbidity with arthroscopic treatment.     

大型及巨大肩袖撕裂的肩关节镜下治疗

目的 探讨全关节镜下手术对大型及巨大肩袖撕裂进行治疗的手术技巧与临床疗效.方法 2004年3月至2008年9月对13例大型或巨大肩袖撕裂患者行肩关节镜下手术治疗,男3例,女10例;年龄45～72岁,平均58.3岁.4例有肩关节摔伤病史,3例有搬抬重物致伤史,其余患者无明显外伤史.肩关节疼痛、无力病史4个月～7年,平均10.6个月.关节镜下11例患者行肩峰成形术,8例行肩袖组织缝合锚修复,5例行单纯肩袖组织清理等.采用视觉模拟法(VAS)疼痛评分和加州大学洛杉矶分校(UCLA)肩关节功能评分进行疗效评估.结果 所有患者术后随访16～32个月,平均18.2个月.术前VAS评分为(6.6±1.3)分,末次随访时为(1.5±1.1)分.术前UCLA肩关节评分为(11.2±2.2)分,末次随访时为(29.5±2.2)分.术前与末次随访时各项评分差异均有统计学意义(P＜0.05).结论 肩关节镜下手术治疗大型及巨大肩袖撕裂是一种微创、有效、安全的治疗方式.     

肩袖滑囊侧部分撕裂的诊断

目的 探讨肩袖滑囊侧部分撕裂的临床特点和诊断方法.方法 1999年8月至2006年6月,对38例肩袖滑囊侧部分撕裂患者进行手术治疗.男28例,女10例;年龄18～69岁,平均45.7岁.左肩11例,右肩27例.肩袖撕裂程度根据Ellman分类标准,Ⅰ度6例,Ⅱ度7例,Ⅲ度25例.术前对双侧肩关节进行系统检查.38例患者术前均拍摄肩关节正位和冈上肌出口位X线片,27例行B超检查,35例行MR或MRA检查.13例行肩峰下间隙减压及肩袖清理术,25例行肩峰下间隙减压及肩袖修复术.结果 38例患者均有肩部疼痛,夜间痛18例.夜间痛在Ⅰ、Ⅱ度与Ⅲ度撕裂患者间阳性率差异无统计学意义(P=0.095).25例患者肩关节前屈及外展肌力下降.物理检查中阳性率较高的包括:Neer撞击征92.1%(35/38),Hawkins撞击征71.1%(27/38),肱骨大结节压痛89.5%(34/38),60°～120°痛弧征68.4%(26/38),牵拉抗阻试验68.4%(26/38).根据Bigliani肩峰分型标准:Ⅰ型2例,Ⅱ型26例,Ⅲ型10例.B超检查的阳性检出率为48.1%(13/27),MR检查的阳性检出率为74.3%(26/35).结论 肩袖滑囊侧部分撕裂患者中,Neer撞击征及大结节压痛阳性率很高.B超和MR检查诊断肩袖滑囊侧部分撕裂有一定价值.关节镜检查仍然是诊断肩袖滑囊侧部分撕裂的最可靠方法.     

肩袖部分撕裂的诊断和治疗

目的探讨肩袖部分撕裂的诊断和手术方法。方法1999年4月~2004年1月,我所对14例肩袖部分撕裂进行手术治疗。术前均拍摄肩关节正位和冈上肌出口位X线片,11例B超检查,14例MR I或MRA检查。5例行肩峰下间隙减压及肩袖清理术;9例行肩峰下间隙减压及肩袖修复术。采用UCLA肩关节评分标准进行评价。结果滑囊侧部分撕裂7例,关节侧部分撕裂7例。14例随访1~6年,平均38个月,UCLA评分由术前(15.9±3.9)分升至术后(30.9±5.2)分(t=15.000,P=0.000)。良13例,差1例;13例满意。结论关节镜检查是诊断肩袖部分撕裂的可靠方法。肩袖修复术是治疗肩袖部分撕裂的有效方法。关节镜下手术创伤小、恢复快。     

Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair

Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair is being performed by an increasing number of orthopaedic surgeons. The principles, techniques, and instrumentation have evolved to the extent that all patterns and sizes of rotator cuff tear, including massive tears, can now be repaired arthroscopically. Achieving a biomechanically stable construct is critical to biologic healing. The ideal repair construct must optimize suture-to-bone fixation, suture-to-tendon fixation, abrasion resistance of suture, suture strength, knot security, loop security, and restoration of the anatomic rotator cuff footprint (the surface area of bone to which the cuff tendons attach). By achieving optimized repair constructs, experienced arthroscopic surgeons are reporting results equal to those of open rotator cuff repair. As surgeons' arthroscopic skill levels increase through attendance at surgical skills courses and greater experience gained in the operating room, there will be an increasing trend toward arthroscopic repair of most rotator cuff pathology.     

Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair

The arthroscopic operation for repair of full-thickness rotator cuff tears is successful and has the advantages of glenohumeral joint inspection, treatment of intraarticular lesions, smaller incisions, no deltoid detachment, less soft tissue dissection, less pain, and more rapid rehabilitation. However, these advantages must be balanced against the technical difficulty of the method, which limits its application to surgeons skilled in open and arthroscopic shoulder operations.     

Transtendon arthroscopic repair of partial-thickness,articular surface tears of the rotator cuff

Partial tears of the articular surface of the rotator cuff are common lesions and when not repaired can lead to persistent pain and disability. In this report, we describe a transtendon method of repairing partial articular surface lesions that anatomically restores the footprint of the rotator cuff, allowing a broad area for tendon healing to bone.     

Arthroscopic treatment of massive rotator cuff tears

In the past 10 years, arthroscopic surgeons have gone from being unable to repair any rotator cuff tears arthroscopically to being able to repair virtually all rotator cuff tears, even complex massive tears, arthroscopically. The factors responsible for this rapid evolution have been: (1) recognition of the mechanical principles responsible for a secure repair (margin convergence, knot security, loop security); (2) recognition of major tear patterns that require different techniques of repair; and (3) development of instrumentation and arthroscopic portals that predictably accomplish secure repair of the rotator cuff and direct access to the pathologic areas. In the current study, the author analyzes each factor, anatomic and mechanical, that influences the quality of the repair, and explains how to optimize the overall repair by optimizing each step in the repair. In the author's series of arthroscopic repair of rotator cuff tears, the results have been gratifying, with massive tears achieving final results equivalent to those of smaller tears.