Objective To explore the effectiveness of the arthroscopic separate double-layer suture bridge technique in treatment of the delaminated rotator cuff tear. Methods Between May 2013 and May 2015, 54 patients with the delaminated rotator cuff tears were recruited in the study. They were randomly allocated into 2 groups to receive repair either using arthroscopic separate double-layer suture bridge technique (trial group, n=28) or using arthroscopic whole-layer suture bridge technique (control group, n=26). There was no significant difference in gender, age, injured side, tear type, and preoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Constants score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) score, and the range of motion of shoulder joint between 2 groups (P>0.05). Postoperative functional scores, range of motion, and recurrence rate of tear in 2 groups were observed and compared. Results The operation time was significant longer in trial group than in control group (t=8.383, P=0.000). All incisions healed at stage Ⅰ without postoperative complication. All the patients were followed up 12 months. At 12 months postoperatively, the UCLA score, ASES score, VAS score, Constant score, and the range of motion were significantly improved when compared with the preoperative values in 2 groups (P<0.05). However there was no significant difference in above indexes between 2 groups (P>0.05). Four cases (14.3%) of rotator cuff tear recurred in trial group while 5 cases (19.2%) in control group, showing no significant difference (χ2=0.237, P=0.626). Conclusion Compared with the arthroscopic whole-layer suture bridge technique, arthroscopic separate double-layer suture bridge technique presents no significant difference in the shoulder function score, the range of motion, and recurrence of rotator cuff tear, while having a longer operation time.
Objective To investigate the effectiveness of arthroscopic long head of biceps tendon (LHBT) transposition combined with Swivelock anchor double fixation in treatment of massive and irreparable rotator cuff tears. Methods Between June 2019 and November 2021, 25 patients with massive and irreparable rotator cuff tears were treated by arthroscopic LHBT transposition combined with Swivelock anchor double fixation. There were 12 males and 13 females. The age ranged from 47 to 74 years (mean, 62.4 years). The disease duration ranged from 1 to 62 months (median, 7 months). The rotator cuff tears were classified as Hamada grade 2 in 25 cases and Goutallier grade 1 in 2 cases, grade 2 in 22 cases, and grade 3 in 1 case. Pre- and post-operative shoulder range of motion (ROM), visual analogue scale (VAS) score, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) score, and Constant-Murley score were recorded. Postoperative complications were observed. The reconstructed tissue integrity was confirmed by MRI. Results All operations were successfully completed. The operation time was 120-330 minutes (mean, 189.6 minutes). All incisions healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 10-36 months (mean, 22.0 months). At last follow-up, the ROM in forward flexion, abduction, and external rotation, VAS score, UCLA score, and Constant-Murley score were superior to those before operation, and the differences were significant (P<0.05). According to UCLA scoring standard, shoulder joint function was rated as excellent in 5 cases, good in 18 cases, and poor in 2 cases, with an excellent and good rate of 92.0%. No other complications occurred except shoulder joint adhesion in 2 cases. At last follow-up, MRI examination showed no retear of rotator cuff, and LHBT was intact. Conclusion For massive and irreparable rotator cuff tears, arthroscopic LHBT transposition combined with Swivelock anchor double fixation can increase the force of pressing the humeral head, effectively relieve the pain, improve the ROM of joints, maximize the recovery of shoulder function, and do not increase the number of anchor nails.
Objective To compare the clinical outcomes following arthroscopic repair for articular-sided partial rotator cuff tear using transtendon repair versus repair after completion of the tear by meta-analysis. Methods Randomized controlled trials on arthroscopic repair for articular-sided partial rotator cuff tear using transtendon repair versus repair after completion of the tear were identified from Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang database, and Chongqing VIP database, with a timespan from the inception of database to November 2024. Pain score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, Constant-Murley score, postoperative adhesive capsulitis and postoperative retear were obtained as the outcomes to compare the clinical effect of the two methods. Meta-analyses were conducted using RevMan 5.3 software, with mean difference (MD) and relative risk (RR) as the effect scales. Results A total of 6 randomized controlled trial studies were included in the meta-analysis. The studies enrolled 370 patients, including 188 cases in the transtendon repair group and 182 cases in the repair after completion of the tear group. Pooled analyses demonstrated that the pain score [MD=0.26, 95% confidence interval (CI) (0.09, 0.42), P=0.003] and ASES score [MD=2.02, 95%CI (0.95, 3.10), P=0.0002] were higher in the transtendon repair group than those in the repair after completion of the tear group, the Constant-Murley score was lower in the transtendon repair group than that in the repair after completion of the tear group [MD=−3.32, 95%CI (−6.17, −0.46), P=0.02], and there was no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative adhesive capsulitis [RR=1.12, 95%CI (0.36, 3.42), P=0.85] or the incidence of retear [RR=0.32, 95%CI (0.10, 1.03), P=0.06] between two groups. Conclusions Transtendon technique is less effective in reducing pain for articular-sided partial rotator cuff tear. There is no significant difference in the incidence of postoperative adhesive capsulitis or retear between the two gorups.
Objective To investigate the effectiveness of proximal humerus internal locking system (PHILOS) plate combined with rotator cuff reinforcement suture in the treatment of Neer type Ⅳ proximal humerus fracture. MethodsThe clinical data of 48 patients with proximal humeral fractures admitted between January 2016 and December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, including 18 males and 30 females. The age ranged from 28 to 69 years (mean, 56.3 years). The causes of injury included falling in 39 cases and traffic accident in 9 cases. The time from injury to operation was 2-5 days (mean, 2.8 days). All of them were Neer type Ⅳ proximal humerus fractures, including 11 patients with dislocation. All patients underwent internal fixation with a PHILOS plate after anatomical reduction of the greater nodule, and the rotator cuff was sutured to the plate to reinforce fixation. The operation time was recorded, the wound healing, fracture healing, and complications were observed. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Constant-Murley shoulder score, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) score, and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score were used to evaluate shoulder function before operation, at 3 months after operation, and at last follow-up. Results The operation time ranged from 65 to 90 minutes (mean, 76.9 minutes). All incisions healed by first intention. All patients were followed up 9-16 months (mean, 12 months). Fracture reduction was good and all fractures healed, the healing time was 2-6 months (mean, 4.6 months). There was no complication such as subacromial impingement, fracture redisplacement, and screw removal during follow-up. One patient had humeral head necrosis, but the basic function of the shoulder joint was acceptable, the symptoms were mild, and no treatment was performed. At 3 months after operation, the upper limb function of the patients basically recovered. The VAS score, Constant-Murley score, UCLA score, and ASES score significantly improved at 3 months after operation and at last follow-up when compared with preoperative, and further improved at last follow-up than at 3 months after operation (P<0.05). ConclusionPHILOS plate combined with rotator cuff reinforcement suture in the treatment of Neer type Ⅳ proximal humerus fracture has the advantages of promoting early postoperative rehabilitation exercise, improving postoperative function of shoulder joint, and reducing complications.
ObjectiveTo investigate early effectiveness of arthroscopic superior fulcrum reconstruction in the treatment of irreparable massive rotator cuff tear (IMRCT). Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 24 patients with IMRCT who met the inclusion criteria between January 2020 and April 2022. Among them, there were 11 males and 13 females with an average age of 56.2 years (range, 42-68 years). There were 12 cases of falling injuries, 3 cases of traction injuries, and the other 9 cases had no obvious causes. The disease duration ranged from 1 to 25 months (median, 6 months). The rotator cuff tears were classified as Hamada grade 2 in 18 cases and grade 3 in 6 cases, and Goutallier grade 1 in 3 cases, grade 2 in 20 cases, and grade 3 in 1 case. All patients were treated with arthroscopic superior fulcrum reconstruction. Visual analogue scale (VAS) score, Constant-Murley score, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) score, and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score were recorded before operation and at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after operation. Results The operations were all successfully completed. The incisions healed by first intention and no related complications occurred. All patients were followed up 12-33 months (mean, 24.6 months). The VAS, Constant-Murley, UCLA, and ASES scores at different time points after operation were superior to those before operation (P<0.05). All of the above indicators further improved with time. Except for no significant difference in VAS and Constant-Murley scores between 6 and 12 months (P>0.05), the differences between the other time points were significant (P<0.05). At 12 months after operation, according to UCLA scoring standard, shoulder joint function was rated as excellent in 4 cases, good in 19 cases, and poor in 1 case, with an excellent and good rate of 96.0%. MRI showed that there was no graft re-tear and the transplanted tendon and bone tunnel healed. Conclusion The arthroscopic superior fulcrum reconstruction for IMRCT can effectively relieve the pain, improve the shoulder range of motion, and restore good shoulder function.
Objective To analyze the effect of stump-preserving repair on rotator cuff healing and shoulder function for degenerative total rotator cuff tears. Methods A clinical data of 152 patients with degenerative total rotator cuff tears, who underwent arthroscopic repair between April 2019 and May 2022, was retrospectively analyzed. There were 76 males and 76 females with an average age of 55.4 years (range, 24-78 years). MRI was performed at 6 months postoperatively to evaluate the rotator cuff healing according to the Sugaya classification. Pre- and intra-operative related factors were included for univariate analysis, including age (≥60 years/<60 years), gender (male/female), passive activity disorder (yes/no), disease duration (≤3 months/>3 months), stump-preserving repair (yes/no), use of suture bridge technique (yes/no), shoulder joint abduction angle at knotting (<45°/≥45°), acromioplasty (yes/no), glucocorticoid injection (yes/no), time for patients to start postoperative passive exercise (≤2 weeks/>2 weeks), and time for patients to start postoperative active exercise (≤3 months/>3 months). The influencing factors of tendon healing were screened; further logistic regression was used to conduct multivariate analysis to screen for risk factors. Two sets of data were balanced by propensity score matching. The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score and Constant-Murley score of shoulder joint function at 6 and 12 months postoperatively, as well as rotator cuff healing rate at 6 months postoperatively, were compared between groups based on whether or not stump-preserving repair was used. Results All patients were followed up 12-33 months (mean, 23.8 months). MRI at 25-31 weeks postoperatively showed the 121 cases of rotator cuff healing and 31 cases of non healing. Univariate analysis showed that the disease duration, stump-preserving repair, shoulder joint abduction angle at knotting, and the time for patients to start postoperative active exercise were the influencing factors of rotator cuff healing (P<0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that non-stump-preserving repair, shoulder abduction angle more than 45° at knotting, and the time to start active exercise within 3 months postoperatively were risk factors affecting rotator cuff healing (P<0.05). A total of 51 pairs of cases were matched based on the grouping criteria of whether the disease duration exceeded 3 months, whether the shoulder abduction angle at knotting exceeded 45°, and whether the time to start postoperative active exercise exceeded 3 months. The rotator cuff healing rate, ASES score, and Constant-Murley score of the preserving repair group at 6 months postoperatively were superior to those of the non-preserving repair group, and the differences were significant (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in ASES score and Constant-Murley score between the two groups at 12 months postoperatively (P>0.05). Conclusion For degenerative total rotator cuff tears, the stump-preserving repair can shorten the healing time and promote the shoulder function recovery, but has no significant effect on shoulder function at 1 year postoperatively.
ObjectiveTo review the research progress of treatment for massive rotator cuff tears. MethodsThe domestic and foreign literature about the treatment of massive rotator cuff tears was reviewed. The methods and effectiveness were extensively summarized.ResultsThe treatment of massive rotator cuff tears still needs long-term research to promote its continuous improvement. The main goal of treatment is to relieve the symptoms and improve the shoulder joint function. With the development of arthroscopic technique, arthroscopic repair of rotator cuff tears has become a mature surgical protocol. Among these techniques, superior capsule reconstruction and patch augmentation for massive rotator cuff tears acquire more attention in recent years. As for rotator cuff arthropathy, reverse shoulder arthroplasty is considered to be a final choice. ConclusionSurgical treatment is the main choice for massive rotator cuff tears. Patients’ age and muscle condition should be taken into consideration to decide the surgical technique.
Objective To review the research progress of arthroscopic long head of biceps tendon (LHBT) transposition in treatment of irreparable massive rotator cuff tears. Methods The domestic and foreign related literature in recent years on the treatment of irreparable massive rotator cuff tears with different LHBT transposition methods under arthroscopy was reviewed and analyzed. Results Arthroscopic LHBT transposition is an effective method for irreparable massive rotator cuff tears, which mainly includes “proximal cut”, “both two cuts”, “distal cut”, and “no cut”. Different methods of LHBT transposition can achieve good effectiveness, but its long-term effectiveness needs further follow-up. Conclusion Arthroscopic LHBT transposition in treatment of irreparable massive rotator cuff tears is simple and effective. The patients can recover quickly after operation with less injury. But the technique has higher requirements for surgeons, and the indications must be strictly controlled.
Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair is widely used clinically, but the phenomenon of re-tear after repair is still common. Due to the special structure of the tendon-bone junction, the promotion of tissue regeneration from the perspective of biological enhancement has attracted attention. Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is a supraphysiological concentration of autologous platelets, which can promote the healing of rotator cuff injury after repair. However, due to the lack of clinical use standards, not all PRPs are the same, there are clear differences between liquid PRP and solid platelet-rich fibrin, and many studies have not differentiated their properties. This article reviews the research progress of different types of PRP in the repair of rotator cuff injury, aiming to provide some reference for clinical treatment selection.
Objective To explore the long-term effectiveness of arthroscopic partial repair in treatment of massive irreparable rotator cuff tears from both the radiological and clinical perspectives. Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 24 patients (25 sides) with massive irreparable rotator cuff tears who met the inclusion criteria between May 2006 and September 2014. Among them, there were 17 males (18 sides) and 7 females (7 sides) with an age range of 43-67 years (mean, 55.0 years). There were 23 cases of unilateral injury and 1 case of bilateral injuries. All patients were treated with the arthroscopic partial repair. The active range of motion of forward elevation and abduction, external rotation, and internal rotation, as well as the muscle strength for forward flexion and external rotation, were recorded before operation, at the first postoperative follow-up, and at last follow-up. The American Association of Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder scoring, and Constant score were used to evaluate shoulder joint function. And the visual analogue scale (VAS) score was used to evaluate shoulder joint pain. MRI examination was performed. The signal-to-noise quotient (SNQ) was measured above the anchor point near the footprint area (m area) and above the glenoid (g area) in the oblique coronal T2 fat suppression sequence. The atrophy of the supraspinatus muscle was evaluated using the tangent sign. The global fatty degeneration index (GFDI) was measured to assess fat infiltration in the supraspinatus muscle, infraspinatus muscle, teres minor muscle, upper and lower parts of the subscapularis muscle. The mean GFDI (GFDI-5) of 5 muscles was calculated. Results The incisions healed by first intention. All patients were followed up with the first follow-up time of 1.0-1.7 years (mean, 1.3 years) and the last follow-up time of 7-11 years (mean, 8.4 years). At last follow-up, the range of motion and muscle strength of forward elevation and abduction, ASES score, Constant score, UCLA score, and VAS score of the patients significantly improved when compared with those before operation (P<0.05). Compared with the first follow-up, except for a significant increase in ASES score (P<0.05), there was no significant difference in the other indicators (P>0.05). Compared with those before operation, the degree of supraspinatus muscle infiltration worsened at last follow-up (P<0.05), GFDI-5 increased significantly (P<0.05), and there was significant difference in the tangent sign (P<0.05); while there was no significant difference in the infiltration degree of infraspinatus muscle, teres minor muscle, and subscapularis muscle, upper and lower parts of the subscapularis muscle (P>0.05). Compared with the first follow-up, the SNQm and SNQg decreased significantly at last follow-up (P<0.05). At the first and last follow-up, there was no correlation between the SNQm and SNQg and the ASES score, Constant score, UCLA score, and VAS score of the shoulder (P>0.05). Conclusion Arthroscopic partial repair is effective in treating massive irreparable rotator cuff tear and significantly improves long-term shoulder joint function. For patients with severe preoperative fat infiltration involving a large number of tendons and poor quality of repairable tendons, it is suggested to consider other treatment methods.