Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are both capable of diagnosing full-thickness rotator cuff tears. However, it is unknown which imaging modality is more accurate and precise in evaluating the characteristics of full-thickness rotator cuff tears in a surgical population. This study reviewed 114 patients who underwent arthroscopic repair of a full-thickness rotator cuff tear over a...

Rotator cuff tears are the most common musculoskeletal injury occurring in the shoulder. Current surgical repair fails to heal in 20% to 95% of patients, depending on age, size of the tear, smoking, time of repair, tendon quality, muscle quality, healing response, and surgical treatments. These problems are worsened by the limited healing potential of injured tendons attributed to the presence ...

Background: The alternative surgery for massive and irreparable shoulder rotator cuff tears in older patients is thedebridement of subacromial bursa, biceps tenotomy, and tuberoplasty (reverse acromioplasty). This study aimed toreport the effectiveness of such a treatment performed arthroscopically in a small group of patients for a short periodof time.Methods: This pros...

The aim of this study was to define the microcirculation of the normal rotator cuff during arthroscopic surgery and investigate whether it is altered in diseased cuff tissue. Blood flow was measured intra-operatively by laser Doppler flowmetry. We investigated six different zones of each rotator cuff during the arthroscopic examination of 56 consecutive patients undergoing investigation for imp...

BACKGROUND Long-term results regarding tear progression, arthropathy, and clinical scores of unrepaired rotator cuff tears are largely unknown. This study investigated whether the condition of the glenohumeral joint and rotator cuff had deteriorated at a minimum of 20 years after an acromioplasty without cuff repair and assessed the clinical results. METHODS A retrospective analysis was condu...

BACKGROUND After reinsertion on the humerus, the rotator cuff has limited ability to heal. Growth factor augmentation has been proposed to enhance healing in such procedure. PURPOSE This study was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of growth factor augmentation during rotator cuff repair. STUDY DESIGN Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1. METHODS Eighty-eight patient...

The purpose of this study was to investigate the validity of the supraspinatus test as a screening test for detecting torn rotator cuff and to determine what its valuable positive signs were. Both the empty-can test and full-can test were performed on 200 shoulders diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-and in some cases, surgical findings-to have full-thickness or partial-thickness torn...

The occurrence of full thickness rotator cuff tears (RCTs) at time of death, the size and distribution of those tears among the tendons of the rotator cuff, and the anterior to posterior and medial to lateral dimensions of the RCTs were determined. A subset of 57 shoulders from a group of 414 were found to have full thickness rotator cuff tears. The three-dimensional coordinates of specific bon...

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study was to examine the healing rate of 2-tendon rotator cuff tears repaired by the use of a transosseous-equivalent (TOE) suture bridge technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS Forty-three patients with combined supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendon tears underwent arthroscopic repair using TOE technique. Forty of these patients were then evaluated by MRI and clinica...

Full-thickness rotator cuff tears in the young athlete are a rare injury. These injuries typically result from an acute traumatic event in a contact athlete, as opposed to overuse injuries more commonly seen in throwing athletes. Acute tears may be initially overlooked, with the symptoms attributed to other, more common causes, such as cuff contusion or brachial plexus neuropraxia ("stinger" or...