This study reports the application of a novel method for quantitatively determining differences in the mechanical properties of healthy and torn rotator cuff tissues. In order to overcome problems of stress risers at the grip-tendon interface that can obscure mechanical measurements of small tendons, we conducted our investigation using dynamic shear analysis. Rotator cuff tendon specimens were...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Few authors have considered the outcome after acute traumatic rotator cuff tears in previously asymptomatic patients. We investigated whether delay of surgery, age at repair, and the number of cuff tendons involved affect the structural and clinical outcome. PATIENTS AND METHODS 42 patients with pseudoparalysis after trauma and no previous history of shoulder symptoms w...

OBJECTIVES Rotator cuff tendinitis and lateral epicondylitis are common in clinical practice but the underlying pathology is poorly understood. The study examined both normal and biopsy tendon specimens histologically, to determine the mechanisms involved in tendon degeneration. METHODS Rotator cuff tendons from 83 cadavers aged 11-94 and tendon biopsy specimens from 20 patients with lateral ...

The high retear rates after surgery for irreparable rotator cuff tears can be explained by the healing capacity potential of tendons and the native rotator cuff enthesis characterised by complex morphological structures, called direct insertion. Many experimental researches have focused on biologically augmenting the rotator cuff reconstruction and improving tendon-bone healing of the rotator c...

Ultrasound is gradually achieving more acceptance by orthopaedic surgeons as a diagnostic imaging tool for rotator cuff and biceps tendon pathology. Two hundred and ten patients with arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs were examined clinically and with ultrasound at early (3 weeks) and late follow-up (average 22 months; range: 12 to 49). A high correlation between clinically intact cuffs and sono...

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 mus...

Traumatic interposition of a rotator cuff tendon in the glenohumeral joint without recognizable glenohumeral dislocation is an unusual complication after shoulder trauma. Here we report the clinical and imaging presentations of a 17-year-old man with trapped rotator cuff tendons in the glenohumeral joint after a bicycle accident. The possible trauma mechanism is also discussed.

INTRODUCTION: There are various shapes of full-thickness rotator cuff tears, but they are mainly categorized into two types; crescent-shaped and L-shaped tears. Although it is widely accepted that the tear often propagates with time, the exact propagation pattern in each type of tear is still remains unknown. In the present study, we attempted to clarify the stress distribution in the tendons w...

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...

We evaluated whether matrix metalloproteases and their inhibitors are involved in extracellular matrix remodelling and degradation of chronic rotator cuff tears. Tendon samples were harvested from 13 patients who underwent arthroscopic repair of a rotator cuff tear. Supraspinatus specimens were harvested en bloc from the arthroscopically intact middle portion of the tendon, more than 1 cm later...