Shoulder arthroscopy is a promising tool for assessing and treating patients with a rotator cuff tear. Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with suture anchor fixation such as the single-row, double-row, and suture bridge technique are popular procedures that can provide excellent clinical outcomes. On the other hand, longitudinal midsubstance, U-shape, or L-shape tears may benefit more from a side...

Massive, irreparable rotator cuff tears are challenging to treat and associated with pain and severe limitation in shoulder elevation due to the proximal migration of the humeral head and, consequently, subacromial impingement. Furthermore, retraction of the tendons in combination with fat infiltration and muscular weakness results in unpredictable treatment outcomes. While conservative treatme...

Volume 7 • Number 1 of 2 • 2001 Orthopedic Special Edition 25 R otator cuff tears can be effectively treated with acromioplasty and stable repair of the tendon to the tuberosity of the humerus. Rotator cuff surgery reliably decreases pain, and improves motion and function as well as the general health status of the patient. The operative approach for rotator cuff repairs has evolved from the cl...

BACKGROUND A persistent atrophy of muscle fibers and an accumulation of fat, collectively referred to as fatty degeneration, commonly occur in patients with chronic rotator cuff tears. The etiology of fatty degeneration and function of the residual rotator cuff musculature have not been well characterized in humans. We hypothesized that muscles from patients with chronic rotator cuff tears have...

Purpose. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the functional outcome and the tendon healing after arthroscopic double row rotator cuff repair of large and massive rotator cuff tears. Methods. 82 patients with a full-thickness large and massive rotator cuff tear underwent arthroscopic repair with double row technique. Results were evaluated by use of the UCLA, ASES, and Constant questionnai...

BACKGROUND Long head biceps (LHB) degeneration in combination with rotator cuff tears can be a source of chronic shoulder pain. LHB tenotomy is an approved surgical procedure for pain reduction and improvement of joint function, however, the pathophysiology of LHB degeneration is not fully understood. In the literature, neoangiogenesis in tendon tissue has previously been shown to be associated...

INTRODUCTION: Rotator cuff tear is one of the most common disorders of the shoulder joint among middle aged or elder population. When a tear occurs, the corresponding muscle loses its function due to a loss of tendon continuity and the changes of muscular structure. The pennation angle, which was defined as an angle between the muscle fiber with its inserting intramuscular tendon, is one of the...

BACKGROUND There is debate as to whether to operate or to defer surgery on patients with concomitant rotator cuff tear and shoulder stiffness. The purpose of this study was therefore to compare the outcomes in those patients who had both their rotator cuff tear and shoulder stiffness treated with the outcomes of patients who had a rotator cuff repair but no stiffness. METHODS Twenty-five pati...

BACKGROUND MRI is the standard methodology in diagnosis of rotator cuff diseases. However, many patients continue to have pain despite treatment, and MRI of a static unloaded shoulder seems insufficient for best diagnosis and treatment. This study evaluated if Dynamic MRI provides novel kinematic data that can be used to improve the understanding, diagnosis and best treatment of rotator cuff di...

The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term functional outcome of full thickness rotator cuff tears treated by open repair and acromioplasty and to determine various factors affecting the outcome. This is a prospective clinical study on 42 patients who underwent full thickness rotator-cuff repair by a single surgeon between 2000 and 2003. The mean follow-up was 26 months. In patients wi...