BACKGROUND Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair provides satisfactory results; however, there is still a high rate of re-tear. The objective of this study was to present a surface-holding technique that we recently developed for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in detail and to evaluate the clinical outcome as well as cuff repair integrity with this new method. MATERIALS AND METHODS A consecutive...

BACKGROUND Differing levels of tendon retraction are found in full-thickness rotator cuff tears. The pathophysiology of tendon degeneration and retraction is unclear. Neoangiogenesis in tendon parenchyma indicates degeneration. Hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are important inducers of neoangiogenesis. Rotator cuff tendons rupture leads to fatty mu...

BACKGROUND Although rotator cuff disease is a common musculoskeletal problem in the United States, the impact of this condition on earnings, missed workdays, and disability payments is largely unknown. This study examines the value of surgical treatment for full-thickness rotator cuff tears from a societal perspective. METHODS A Markov decision model was constructed to estimate lifetime direc...

Anterosuperior rotator cuff tears involve the subscapularis tendon, supraspinatus tendon, and rotator interval. The long head of the biceps is usually affected and unstable in these complex lesions. Arthroscopic repair of anterosuperior rotator cuff tears often consists of 2 different procedures. Whereas the subscapularis tendon is reconstructed under intra-articular visualization, the supraspi...

An all-arthroscopic repair of the subscapularis tendon has seen signifi cant interest in the past 10 years. As we refi ne our knowledge and arthroscopic techniques in repairing other rotator cuff tears, we are now more capable of addressing subscapularis tears in an all-arthroscopic fashion as well. Th e main advantages of an all-arthroscopic repair of the subscapularis tendon are smaller incis...

BACKGROUND Rotator cuff tears are a significant cause of shoulder morbidity. Surgical techniques for repair have evolved to optimize the biologic and mechanical variables critical to tendon healing. Double-row repairs have demonstrated superior biomechanical advantages to a single-row. METHODS The preferred technique for rotator cuff repair of the senior author was reviewed and described in a...

INTRODUCTION Degenerative rotator cuff tears are a common problem, affecting greater than 30% of the general population [1]. Rotator cuff tears most commonly occur in the supraspinatus tendon near the insertion site [2]. There is a high failure rate of rotator cuff tear repairs, and this failure typically occurs at the tendon-suture interface [3]. By determining localized differences in rotator...

Rotator cuff tear has been a known entity for orthopaedic surgeons for more than two hundred years. Although the exact pathogenesis is controversial, a combination of intrinsic factors proposed by Codman and extrinsic factors theorized by Neer is likely responsible for most rotator cuff tears. Magnetic resonance imaging remains the gold standard for the diagnosis of rotator cuff tears, but the ...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to evaluate the functional and anatomic results of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, and to analyze the factors affecting the integrity of arthroscopically repaired rotator cuff tears of the shoulder. METHODS One hundred sixty-nine consecutive shoulders that underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, had a postoperative MRI evaluation and were followe...

BACKGROUND Chronic rotator cuff tears are a common source of shoulder pain and disability, and patients with chronic cuff tears often have substantial weakness, fibrosis, inflammation, and fat accumulation. Identifying therapies to prevent the development of these pathologic processes will likely have a positive impact on clinical outcomes. Simvastatin is a drug with demonstrated anti-inflammat...