Objectives. All-suture anchors are increasingly used in rotator cuff repair procedures. Potential benefits include decreased bone damage. However, there is limited published evidence for the relative strength of fixation for all-suture anchors compared with traditional anchors. Materials and Methods. A total of four commercially available all-suture anchors, the ‘Y-Knot’ (ConMed), Q-FIX (Smith & Nephew), ICONIX (Stryker) and JuggerKnot (Zimmer Biomet) and a traditional anchor control TWINFIX Ultra PK Suture Anchor (Smith & Nephew) were tested in cadaveric human humeral head rotator cuff repair models (n = 24). This construct underwent cyclic loading applied by a mechanical testing rig (Zwick/Roell). Ultimate load to failure, gap formation at 50, 100, 150 and 200 cycles, and failure mechanism were recorded. Significance was set at p < 0.05. Results. Overall, mean maximum tensile strength values were significantly higher for the traditional anchor (181.0 N, standard error (. se). 17.6) compared with the all-suture anchors (mean 133.1 N . se. 16.7) (p = 0.04). The JuggerKnot anchor had greatest displacement at 50, 100 and 150 cycles, and at failure, reaching statistical significance over the control at 100 and 150 cycles (22.6 mm . se. 2.5 versus 12.5 mm . se. 0.3; and 29.6 mm . se. 4.8 versus 17.0 mm . se. 0.7). Every all-suture anchor tested showed substantial (> 5 mm) displacement between 50 and 100 cycles (6.2 to 14.3). All-suture anchors predominantly failed due to anchor pull-out (95% versus 25% of traditional anchors), whereas a higher proportion of traditional anchors failed secondary to suture breakage. Conclusion. We demonstrate decreased failure load, increased total displacement, and variable failure mechanisms in all-suture anchors, compared with traditional anchors designed for rotator cuff repair. These findings will aid the surgeon’s choice of implant, in the context of the clinical scenario. Cite this article: N. S. Nagra, N. Zargar, R. D. J. Smith, A. J. Carr. Mechanical properties of all-suture anchors for rotator cuff repair. Bone Joint Res 2017;6:82–89. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.62.BJR-2016-0225.R1

Aims. Many biomechanical studies have shown that the weakest biomechanical point of a rotator cuff repair is the suture-tendon interface at the medial row. We developed a novel double rip-stop (DRS) technique to enhance the strength at the medial row for rotator cuff repair. The objective of this study was to evaluate the biomechanical properties of the DRS technique with the conventional suture-bridge (SB) technique and to evaluate the biomechanical performance of the DRS technique with medial row knots. Methods. A total of 24 fresh-frozen porcine shoulders were used. The infraspinatus tendons were sharply dissected and randomly repaired by one of three techniques: SB repair (SB group), DRS repair (DRS group), and DRS with medial row knots repair (DRSK group). Specimens were tested to failure. In addition, 3 mm gap formation was measured and ultimate failure load, stiffness, and failure modes were recorded. Results. The mean load to create a 3 mm gap formation in the DRSK and DRS groups was significantly higher than in the SB group. The DRSK group had the highest load to failure with a mean ultimate failure load of 395.0 N (SD 56.8) compared to the SB and DRS groups, which recorded 147.1 N (SD 34.3) and 285.9 N (SD 89.8), respectively (p < 0.001 for both). The DRS group showed a significantly higher mean failure load than the SB group (p = 0.006). Both the DRS and DRSK groups showed significantly higher mean stiffness than the SB group. Conclusion. The biomechanical properties of the DRS technique were significantly improved compared to the SB technique. The DRS technique with medial row knots showed superior biomechanical performance than the DRS technique alone

Aims. It has been established that mechanical stimulation benefits tendon-bone (T-B) healing, and macrophage phenotype can be regulated by mechanical cues; moreover, the interaction between macrophages and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) plays a fundamental role in tissue repair. This study aimed to investigate the role of macrophage-mediated MSC chondrogenesis in load-induced T-B healing in depth. Methods. C57BL/6 mice rotator cuff (RC) repair model was established to explore the effects of mechanical stimulation on macrophage polarization, transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1 generation, and MSC chondrogenesis within T-B enthesis by immunofluorescence and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Macrophage depletion was performed by clodronate liposomes, and T-B healing quality was evaluated by histology and biomechanics. In vitro, bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) were stretched with CELLOAD-300 load system and macrophage polarization was identified by flow cytometry and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). MSC chondrogenic differentiation was measured by histochemical analysis and qRT-PCR. ELISA and qRT-PCR were performed to screen the candidate molecules that mediated the pro-chondrogenic function of mechanical stimulated BMDMs. Results. Mechanical stimulation promoted macrophage M2 polarization in vivo and in vitro. The conditioned media from mechanically stimulated BMDMs (MS-CM) enhanced MSC chondrogenic differentiation, and mechanically stimulated BMDMs generated more TGF-β1. Further, neutralizing TGF-β1 in MS-CM can attenuate its pro-chondrogenic effect. In vivo, mechanical stimulation promoted TGF-β1 generation, MSC chondrogenesis, and T-B healing, which were abolished following macrophage depletion. Conclusion. Macrophages subjected to appropriate mechanical stimulation could polarize toward the M2 phenotype and secrete TGF-β1 to promote MSC chondrogenesis, which subsequently augments T-B healing. Cite this article: Bone Joint Res 2023;12(3):219–230

Objectives

The aim of this study was to determine whether there is any significant difference in temporal measurements of pain, function and rates of re-tear for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (RCR) patients compared with those patients undergoing open RCR.

Re-rupture rates after rotator cuff repair remain high because of inadequate biological healing at the tendon-bone interface. Single-growth factor therapies to augment healing at the enthesis have so far yielded inconsistent results. An emerging approach is to combine multiple growth factors over a spatiotemporal distribution that mimics normal healing. We propose a novel combination treatment of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) incorporated into a controlled-release tyraminated poly-vinyl-alcohol hydrogel to improve healing after rotator cuff repair. We aimed to evaluate this growth factor treatment in a rat chronic rotator cuff tear model. A total of 30 male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent unilateral supraspinatus tenotomy. Delayed rotator cuff repairs were then performed after 3 weeks, to allow tendon degeneration that resembles the human clinical scenario. Animals were randomly assigned to: [1] a control group with repair alone; or [2] a treatment group in which the hydrogel was applied at the repair site. All animals were euthanized 12 weeks after rotator cuff surgery and the explanted shoulders were analyzed for biomechanical strength and histological quality of healing at the repair site. In the treatment group had significantly higher stress at failure (73% improvement, P=0.003) and Young's modulus (56% improvement, P=0.028) compared to the control group. Histological assessment revealed improved healing with significantly higher overall histological scores (10.1 of 15 vs 6.55 of 15, P=0.032), and lower inflammation and vascularity. This novel combination growth factor treatment improved the quality of healing and strength of the repaired enthesis in a chronic rotator cuff tear model. Further optimization and tailoring of the growth factors hydrogel is required prior to consideration for clinical use in the treatment of rotator cuff tears. This novel treatment approach holds promise for improving biological healing of this clinically challenging problem

Rotator cuff repair has excellent clinical outcomes but continues to be a challenge when it comes to large and massive tears as well as revision procedures. Reported symptomatic retear rates are still too high to be acceptable. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a combination of augmentation techniques consisting of microfractures of the greater tuberosity, extracellular matrix (ECM) patch graft and subsequent platelet concentrate (PC) subacromial injections in revision rotator cuff repair. The study was designed as a retrospective comparative study on prospectively collected data from a consecutive cohort of patients. All patients who underwent arthroscopic revision rotator cuff repair for symptomatic failure of previous posterosuperior rotator cuff repair were considered eligible for the study. Symptomatic failure had been diagnosed according to clinical examination and confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Structural integrity had been assessed on MRI and classified according to Sugaya classification. Only patients affected by stage IV-V were considered eligible. Tear reparability was confirmed during arthroscopy. Only patients with a minimum 2 years follow-up were included. Patients were divided in two groups. In group 1 (control group) a standard arthroscopic revision and microfractures of the greater tuberosity were performed; in group 2 (experimental group), microfractures of the greater tuberosity and a ECM patch graft were used to enhance tendon repair, followed by postoperative PC injections. Minimum follow-up was 12 months. Primary outcome was the Constant-Murley score (CMS) normalized for age and gender. Subjective outcome was assessed with the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score in its short version (Quick-DASH). Tendon integrity was assessed with MRI at 6 months after surgery. Comparison between groups for all discrete variables at baseline and at follow-up was carried out with the Student's t-test for normally distributed data, otherwise Mann-Whitney U-test was used. Within-group differences (baseline vs follow-up) for discrete variables were analyzed by paired t-test, or by Wilcoxon signed-rank test in case of data with non-normal distribution. Differences for categorical variables were assessed by chi-squared test. Significance was considered for p values < 0.05. Forty patients were included in the study (20 patients for each group). The mean follow-up was 13 ± 1.6 months. No patients were lost at the follow up. Comparison between groups did not show significant differences for baseline characteristics. At follow-up, mean CMS was 80.7 ± 16.6 points in group 1 and 91.5 ± 11.5 points in group 2 (p= 0.022). Mean DASH score was 28.6 ± 21.6 points in group 1 and 20.1 ± 17.4 points in group 2 (p= 0.178). Post-operative MRI showed 6 healed shoulders in Group 1 and 16 healed shoulders in Group 2 (p<0.004). No postoperative complications were reported in both groups. The combination of microfractures of the greater tuberosity, ECM patch graft, and subsequent PC subacromial injections is an effective strategy in improving tendon healing rate

The purpose of this study is the evaluate the net promotor score of arthroscopic subacromial decompression and rotator cuff repair. The Friends and Family Test, a variant of the Net Promoter Score, was adapted for the National Health Service to evaluate overall patient satisfaction and how likely patients are to recommend an intervention. It ranges from −100 to 100. Positive scores indicate good performance. This study quantifies the scores in 71 patients at 1 year following arthroscopic sub acromial decompression and rotator cuff repair. All of the procedures were performed by 1 consultant shoulder specialist. The patient filled out a shoulder questionnaire pre-operatively, at 6 months and 1 year. The score was 72 for subacromial decompression (n = 32) and 85 for rotator cuff repair +/− decompression (n = 39). Oxford shoulder score was also taken and had a rise of 4.3 and 6.9 respectively. Our study indicates that these procedures are highly valued and are recommended by patients according to the Friends and Family Test. The results of the Friends and Family Test correlated well with postoperative functional improvement and satisfaction. We conclude from this study that a compound score based on the Friends and Family Test is a useful addition to traditional measures of patient satisfaction

Objectives. Platelet-rich fibrin matrix (PRFM) has been proved to enhance tenocyte proliferation but has mixed results when used during rotator cuff repair. The optimal PRFM preparation protocol should be determined before clinical application. To screen the best PRFM to each individual’s tenocytes effectively, small-diameter culture wells should be used to increase variables. The gelling effect of PRFM will occur when small-diameter culture wells are used. A co-culture device should be designed to avoid this effect. Methods. Tenocytes harvested during rotator cuff repair and blood from a healthy volunteer were used. Tenocytes were seeded in 96-, 24-, 12-, and six-well plates and co-culture devices. Appropriate volumes of PRFM, according to the surface area of each culture well, were treated with tenocytes for seven days. The co-culture device was designed to avoid the gelling effect that occurred in the small-diameter culture well. Cell proliferation was analyzed by water soluble tetrazolium-1 (WST-1) bioassay. Results. The relative quantification (condition/control) of WST-1 assay on day seven revealed a significant decrease in tenocyte proliferation in small-diameter culture wells (96 and 24 wells) due to the gelling effect. PRFM in large-diameter culture wells (12 and six wells) and co-culture systems induced a significant increase in tenocyte proliferation compared with the control group. The gelling effect of PRFM was avoided by the co-culture device. Conclusion. When PRFM and tenocytes are cultured in small-diameter culture wells, the gelling effect will occur and make screening of personalized best-fit PRFM difficult. This effect can be avoided with the co-culture device. Cite this article: C-H. Chiu, P. Chen, W-L. Yeh, A. C-Y. Chen, Y-S. Chan, K-Y. Hsu, K-F. Lei. The gelling effect of platelet-rich fibrin matrix when exposed to human tenocytes from the rotator cuff in small-diameter culture wells and the design of a co-culture device to overcome this phenomenon. Bone Joint Res 2019;8:216–223. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.85.BJR-2018-0258.R1

Tendons mainly consist of collagen in order to withstand high tensile forces. Compared to other, high turnover tissues, cellularity and vascularity in tendons are low. Thus, the natural healing process of tendons takes long and can be problematic. In case of injury to the enthesis, the special transition from tendon over cartilage to bone is replaced by a fibrous scar tissue, which remains an unsolved problem in rotator cuff repair. To improve tendon healing, many different approaches have been described using scaffolds, stem cells, cytokines, blood products, gene therapy and others. Despite promising in vitro and in vivo results, translation to patient care is challenging. In clinics however, tendon auto- or allografts remain still first choice to augment tendon healing if needed. Therefore, it is important to understand natural tendon properties and natural tendon healing first. Like in other tissues, senescence of tenocytes seems to play an important role for tendon degeneration which is interestingly not age depended. Our in vivo healing studies have shown improved and accelerated healing by adding collagen type I, which is now used in clinics, for example for augmentation of rotator cuff repair. Certain cytokines, cells and scaffolds may further improve tendon healing but are not yet used routinely, mainly due to missing clinical data, regulatory issues and costs. In conclusion, the correct diagnosis and correct first line treatment of tendon injuries are important to avoid the necessity to biologically augment tendon healing. However, strategies to improve and accelerate tendon healing are still desirable. New treatment opportunities may arise with further advances in tendon engineering in the future

Studies have shown that the trees minor plays an important role after total (TSA) and reverse (RSA) shoulder arthroplasty, as well as in maintenance of function in the setting of infraspinatus wasting. In this regard, teres minor hypertrophy has been described as a compensatory change in response to this infraspinatus wasting, and has been suggested that this compensatory hypertrophy may mitigate the loss of infraspinatus function in the patient with a large rotator cuff tear. The purpose of this study was to determine the prevalence of teres minor hypertrophy in a cohort of patients undergoing rotator cuff repair, and to determine its prognostic effect, if any, on outcomes after surgical repair. Over a 3 year period, all rotator cuff repairs performed in a single practice by 3 ASES member surgeons were collected. Inclusion criteria included both preoperative and postoperative validated outcomes measures (minimum 2 year), and preoperative Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanning. 144 patients met all criteria. MRIs were evaluated for rotator cuff tear tendon involvement, tear size, and Goutallier changes of each muscle. In addition, occupational ratios were determined for the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and teres minor muscles. Patients were divided into 2 groups, based upon whether they had teres minor hypertrophy or not, based on a previously established definition. A 2 way ANOVA was used to determine the effect of teres minor hypertrophy(tear size by hypertrophy) and Goutallier. Teres minor hypertrophy was a relatively common finding in this cohort of rotator cuff patients, with 51% of all shoulders demonstrating hypertrophy. Interestingly, in patients without an infraspinatus tear, teres minor hypertrophy was still present in 19/40 (48%) of patients. Teres minor hypertrophy had a significant, negative effect ASES scores after rotator cuff repair in patients with and without infraspinatus tearing, infraspinatus atrophy, and fatty infiltrative changes (P<0.05). In general, the presence of teres minor hypertrophy showed 10–15% less improvement (Figure 1) than when no hypertrophy was present, and this was consistent across all tear sizes, independent of Goutallier changes. Teres minor hypertrophy is a common finding in the setting of rotator cuff tearing, including in the absence of infraspinatus tearing. Contrary to previous publications, the presence of teres minor hypertrophy in patients with rotator cuff repair does not appear to be protective as a compensatory mechanism. While further study is necessary to determine the mechanism or implication of teres minor hypertrophy in setting of rotator cuff repair, our results show it is not a positive of outcomes following rotator cuff repair

The April 2015 Shoulder & Elbow Roundup. 360 . looks at: Distal clavicular resection not indicated in cuff repair?; Platelet-rich plasma in rotator cuff repair; Radial head geometry: time to change?; Heterotopic ossification in elbow trauma; Another look at heterotopic ossification in the humerus; Triceps on for total elbow arthroplasty?; Predicting outcomes in rotator cuff repair; Deltoid fatty infiltration and reverse shoulder arthroplasty

The treatment of massive rotator cuff tears remains controversial. There is lack of studies comparing patient-reported outcomes (PROM) of arthroscopic massive rotator cuff repairs (RCR) against large, medium and small RCRs. Our study aims to report the PROM for arthroscopic massive RCR versus non-massive RCR. Patients undergoing an arthroscopic RCR under a single surgeon over a 5-year period were included. Demographic data were recorded. Pre-operative Quick-DASH and Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) were prospectively collected pre-operatively and at final review (mean of 18 months post-operatively). The scores were compared to a matched cohort of patients who had large, medium or small RCRs. A post-hoc power analysis confirmed 98% power was achieved. 82 patients were included in the study. 42 (51%) patients underwent massive RCR. The mean age of patients undergoing massive RCR was 59.7 and 55% (n=23) were female. 21% of massive RCRs had biceps augmentation. Quick-DASH improved significantly from a mean of 46.1 pre-operatively to 15.6 at final follow-up for massive RCRs (p<0.001). OSS improved significantly from a mean of 26.9 pre-operatively to 41.4 at final follow up for massive RCRs (p<0.001). There was no significant difference in the final Quick-DASH and OSS scores for massive and non-massive RCRs (p=0.35 and p=0.45 respectively). No revision surgery was required within the minimum one year follow up timescale. Arthroscopic massive rotator cuff repairs have no functional difference to non-massive rotator cuff repairs in the short term follow up period and should be considered in appropriate patient groups

Despite reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) being primarily indicated for massive rotator cuff tears, it is often possible to repair portions of the infraspinatus and subscapularis of patients undergoing this procedure. However, there is disagreement regarding whether these tissues should be repaired, as their effects remain unclear. Therefore, we investigated the effects of rotator cuff repair and changes in humeral and glenosphere lateralisation (HLat & GLat) on deltoid and joint loading. Six shoulders were tested on an in-vitro muscle driven active motion simulator. Cuff tear arthropathy was simulated in each specimen, which was then implanted with a custom adjustable RTSA fitted with a six axis load sensor. We assessed the effects of 4 RTSA configurations (i.e. all combinations of 0&10mm of HLat & GLat) on deltoid force, joint load, and joint load angle during abduction with/out rotator cuff repair. Deltoid and joint loads recorded by the load cell are reported as a % of Body Weight (%BW). Repeated measures ANOVAs and pairwise comparisons were performed with p<0.05 indicating significance. Cuff repair interacted with HLat & GLat (p=0.005, Fig. 1) such that with no HLat, GLat increased deltoid force without cuff repair (8.1±2.1%BW, p=0.012) and this effect was significantly increased with cuff repair (12.8±3.2%BW, p=0.010). However, adding HLat mitigated this such that differences were not significant. HLat and GLat affected deltoid force regardless of cuff status (−2.5±0.7%BW, p=0.016 & +7.7±2.3%BW, p=0.016, respectively). Rotator cuff repair did significantly increase joint load (+11.9±2.1%BW, p=0.002), as did GLat (+13.3±1.5%BW, p<0.001). The increases in deltoid and joint load caused by rotator cuff repair confirm that it acts as an adductor following RTSA and increases deltoid work. Additionally, cuff repair's negative effects are exacerbated by GLat, which strengthens its adduction affect, while Hlat increases the deltoid's abduction effect thus mitigating the cuff's antagonistic effects. Cuff repair increases concavity compression within the joint; however, Hlat produces a similar effect by wrapping the deltoid around the greater tuberosity – which redirects its force – and does so without increasing the magnitude of muscle and joint loading. The long-term effects of increased joint loading due to rotator cuff repair are unknown, however, it can be postulated that it may increase implant wear, and the risk of deltoid fatigue. Therefore, RTSA implant designs which improve joint compression without increasing muscle and joint loading may be preferable to rotator cuff repair

Rotator cuff repair (RCR) can be performed open or arthroscopically, with a recent dramatic increase in the latter. Despite controversy about the preferred technique, there has been an increase in the number of repairs performed arthroscopically. The purpose of this study was, therefore, to compare revision rates following open and arthroscopic RCR repair. Adult patients undergoing first-time, primary rotator cuff repair in Ontario, Canada (April 2003-March 2014) were identified using physician billing and hospital databases. Patients were followed for a minimum of two and up to 13 years for the primary outcome, revision rotator cuff repair, and secondary outcome, surgical site infection. The intervention considered was open versus arthroscopic technique. Patient factors (age, gender, residence, socioeconomic status, medical comorbidities) and provider factors (surgical volume, hospital setting, worked night before, year of surgery) were recorded. Standardized mean differences were used for covariate comparison. A Cox Proportional Hazards model was used to compare RCR survivorship between the two groups after adjustment for patient and provider factors, generating hazard ratios with 95% confidence intervals (HR, 95% CIs). Censoring occurred on the first of the primary outcome, death, shoulder arthroplasty or arthrodesis, or the end of the follow-up period (March 2016). A total of 37,255 patients were included. The overall revision RCR rate was 2.9% (1,096 patients) with a median time to revision of 23 months (IQR 12–52). Revision repair was more common in the arthroscopic group in comparison to the open group (3.2% vs 2.6%, NNT 166.7, p=0.004), with an adjusted HR of 0.72 (0.63–0.83 95% CI, p < 0 .0001). The surgical site infection rate was significantly higher in the open group compared with the arthroscopic group (0.5% vs 0.2%, NNT 333.3, p < 0 .001). Patient and provider covariates had no statistically significant effect on revision rates, aside from increasing age (per 10 year increase, HR 0.85, 0.81–0.90 95% CI, p < 0 .0001). Revision rotator cuff repair is approximately 30% more common in patients undergoing arthroscopic repair, in comparison to open repair, after adjustment. Surgical site infection is uncommon regardless of surgical technique, however, it is slightly more common following open repair. In the setting of an economic healthcare crisis, trends of increasing arthroscopic RCR may demand scrutiny, as the technique is associated with higher revision rates and higher costs

Purpose: Currently, there is little information available concerning the outcome of patients with infection following rotator cuff repair. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to review the incidence, management and outcomes of patients with rotator cuff repair complicated with deep infection. Methods: Between 1975 and 2003, 39 cases of deep infection following rotator cuff repair were identified. The medical records and radiographs were retrospectively examined. At a mean follow-up of 8.2 years, seven patients had died and two patients had been lost to follow-up leaving 30 cases for outcome evaluation. Results: The incidence of deep infection after rotator cuff repairs that were performed at our institution was 0.43% (21 of 4886 cases). The mean interval from rotator cuff repair to the time of infection diagnosis was 49 days. ESR and C-reactive protein were elevated in only 60% and 50% of patients, respectively. Propionibacterium was the most common organism isolated, infecting 51% of cases. A mean of 3.3 surgical debridements were necessary for the eradication of infection. At final follow-up, mean active abduction was 121° and mean external rotation was 44°. The ASES score averaged 67 points and the Simple Shoulder Test score averaged 7.3 points. Conclusions: The data from this study suggests that the eradication of deep infection following rotator cuff repair is possible, however, substantial functional limitations are not unusual. Additionally, the treating surgeon should be aware of the high incidence of Propionibacterium and the importance of allowing a minimum of seven days of culture to identify this organism

Introduction and aims: Good outcome for rotator cuff repair has been reported for open, arthroscopically assisted miniopen and arthroscopic techniques. Patient outcomes are affected by tear characteristics, patient factors and surgical experience. Little information is reported in literature on the affect on outcome in the presence of delamination tearing found at surgery. This prospective study compares outcome of miniopen rotator cuff repairs with and without delamination. Method: A prospective analysis between November 2004 and January 2008 allowed data collection on arthroscopically assisted miniopen rotator cuff repairs performed by a single surgeon using the same technique. The Western Ontario Rotator Cuff score (WORC) was used as the measurement tool to assess outcome. Scores were recorded pre-operatively and at 6 months, 12 months and 2 years post-operatively. Results: 229 arthroscopically assisted miniopen rotator cuff repairs were performed on 221 patients. Tear size and presence of delamination were recorded at the time of surgery. Incidence of delamination was 72%. The average age of patients was 58.6 years. There was no age difference in the incidence of delamination. Incidence of delamination was 72% in patients under 60 years (n=123) and 71% in patients over 60 years (106). 72% (of 62) female shoulders showed delamination and 71.5% (of 168) male shoulders showed delamination. Tears of less than 3cm had a 64% incidence of delamination. Tears greater than 3cm had 76% incidence of delamination. No difference in pre-operative WORC scores between delaminated group versus non-laminated group. Pre-operative WORC scores showed both delaminated and non-laminated tears had 40% of maximum score. Analysis at 2 years showed no difference in outcome of non-laminated tears (84% of maximum score) compared with delaminated tears (84% of maximum score). Size at time of repair did not affect outcome. Outcome showed slightly better results for delaminated tears in the older age group. Workers compensation patients achieved poorer outcomes than non workers compensation patients but there was no difference for delaminated versus non-laminated tears. Conclusions: Prospective analysis of outcome on arthroscopic assisted minideltoid rotator cuff repairs demonstrates that both non-laminated and delaminated rotator cuff tears achieve excellent outcomes at 2 years. There is no significant difference in outcome of repair when comparing workers compensation, size of tear or sex. Increasing age was a positive predictor for outcome at 6 and 12 months. It remains to be seen whether arthroscopic techniques can achieve similar results

Proximal humerus fractures are a common fragility fracture in older adults. A variety of treatment options exist, yet longer term outcomes of newer surgical treatments have not been extensively researched. Additionally, intermediate term outcomes following both surgical and non-surgical initial treatment of these injuries have not been evaluated at a population level. The purpose of this study was to utilise administrative data from Ontario, Canada to evaluate intermediate term outcomes following initial treatment of proximal humerus fractures. We used data from the Canadian Institute for Health Information to identify all patients aged 50 and older who presented to an ambulatory care facility with a “main diagnosis” of proximal humerus fracture from April 1, 2004 to March 31, 2013. Intervention codes from the Discharge Abstract Database were used to categorise patients into fixation, replacement, reduction or non-surgically treated groups. We used intervention codes to identify instances of complication-related operations following initial treatment (including fixation, replacement, hardware removal, rotator cuff repair and irrigation and debridement [I&D]) at one year post initial treatment. The majority of patients (28,369, 86.6%, 95% confidence interval [95% CI] 86.2–87.0%) were initially treated non-surgically, while 2835 (8.7%, 95% CI 8.4–9.0%) underwent initial fixation, 1280 (3.9%, 95% CI 3.7–4.1%) received primary joint replacement, and 276 (0.8%, 95% CI 0.8–1.0%) were initially treated with a reduction procedure. In the year following the initial treatment period, 127 (0.4%, 95%CI 0.4–0.5%) non-surgically treated patients underwent a replacement surgery, 292 (1.0%, 95%CI 0.9–1.2%) underwent fixation, and 12 (0.04%, 95% CI 0.02–0.07%) underwent a reduction procedure. Of the 2835 patients who received initial fixation, 57 (2.0%, 95% CI 1.6–2.6%) returned for a shoulder replacement, 80 received secondary fixation (2.8%, 95% CI 2.3–3.5%), 57 (2.0%, 95%CI 1.6–2.6%) underwent rotator cuff repair, 300 (10.6%, 95% CI 9.5–11.8%) had their implants removed, and 16 (0.6%, 95% CI 0.4–0.9%) returned for I&D. Of the 1280 patients who underwent initial replacement surgeries, 30 (2.3%, 95% CI 1.7–3.3%) returned for a secondary replacement, nine (0.7%, 95% CI 0.4–1.3%) underwent rotator cuff repair, and seven (0.6%, 95% CI 0.3–1.1%) had their implant removed. In the group who received initial reduction, eight (2.9%, 95% CI 1.5–5.6%) underwent a fixation procedure, six (2.2%, 95% CI 1.0–4.7%) received replacement surgeries, and five (1.8%, 95% CI 0.8–4.2%) each received rotator cuff repair and I&D in the year following initial treatment. The majority of proximal humerus fractures in patients 50 and older in Ontario, Canada are treated non-surgically. Complication-related operations in the year following initial non-operative treatment are relatively low. The most commonly observed procedure following initial fixation surgery is hardware removal

Background. High re-rupture rates following repairs of rotator cuff tears (RCTs) have resulted in the increased use of repair grafts to act as temporary scaffolds to support tendon healing. It has been estimated that thousands of extracellular matrix repair grafts are used annually to augment surgical repair of rotator cuff tears. The only mechanical assessment of the suitability of these grafts for rotator cuff repair has been made using tensile testing only, and compared grafts to canine infraspinatus. As the shoulder and rotator cuff tendons are exposed to shearing as well as uniaxial loading, we compared the response of repair grafts and human rotator cuff tendons to shearing mechanical stress. We used a novel technique to study material deformation, dynamic shear analysis (DSA). Methods. The shear properties of four RCT repair grafts were measured (Restore, GraftJacket, Zimmer Collagen Repair and SportsMesh). 3mm-sized biopsy samples were taken and subjected to DSA using oscillatory deformation under compression to calculate the storage modulus (G') as an indicator of mechanical integrity. To assess how well the repair grafts were matched to normal rotator cuff tendons, the storage modulus was calculated for 18 human rotator cuff specimens which were obtained from patients aged between 22 and 89 years (mean age 58.8 years, with 9 males and 9 females). Control human rotator cuff tendons were obtained from the edge of tendons during hemiarthoplasties and stabilisations. A 1-way ANOVA of all of the groups was performed to compare shear properties between the different commercially available repair grafts and human rotator cuff tendons to see if they were different. Specific comparison between the different repair grafts and normal rotator cuff tendons was done using a Dunn's multiple comparison test. Results. We report a significant difference in the shear moduli of all four rotator cuff repair grafts (P<0.0001, 1 way ANOVA, Kruskall-Wallis test). 2 of the grafts, Zimmer Collagen Repair and SportMesh, were not significantly different when compared to rotator cuff tendons and were found to have comparable shear mechanical properties (P > 0.05, Dunn's multiple comparison test). The other repair grafts, GraftJacket and Restore, had a significantly lower storage modulus when compared to human rotator cuff tendons. Conclusions. With increasing numbers of repairs of rotator cuff tears, and augmentation of these repairs, there is a need to understand the mechanical and biological properties of the both repair grafts and the tendons they are designed to augment. At present there is no clear definition of the ideal mechanobiological properties of rotator cuff repair patches. Current rotator cuff repair grafts display a wide variation in their shear mechanical properties, and how closely they are matched to the mechanical properties of human rotator cuff tendons. It is hoped that this study may help to guide surgeons in deciding on the most appropriate rotator cuff tendon repair graft

This randomized clinical trial utilizing the validated rotator cuff disease specific quality of life outcome measure (RC-QOL) and adequate power demonstrates no difference in outcome for full thickness rotator cuff tears comparing open to mini-open surgical techniques. The purpose of the study was to compare standard open rotator cuff repair versus mini-open rotator cuff repair by measuring the disease specific quality of life in patients with rotator cuff injury. This randomized clinical trial utilizing a validated disease specific outcome measure and adequate power demonstrates no difference in outcome for full thickness rotator cuff tears comparing open to mini-open surgical techniques. The miniopen approach utilizing an arthroscoic acromioplasty provides no additional beneifit to the patient undergoing a rotator cuff repair. The mean one year RC-QOL score for the open and mini-open groups were 85.3 (SD = 15.6) and 87.4 (SD = 12.0) out of a maximum of one hundred, respectively. This difference was not statistically significant (p = 0.572). Seventy-two patients (forty-eight males/twenty-four females) with an average age of 56.4 years (thirty-three to eighty-two years) consented to participate in the study. Inclusion criteria involved: unremitting pain, failed conservative treatment of at least three months, weakness of rotator cuff, and positive diagnostic imaging indicating a full-thickness rotator cuff tear. Massive rotator cuff tears were excluded. Prior to surgery, patients were randomized to either open or mini-open rotator cuff repair. Patients were assessed and outcomes were collected at three, six and twelve months after surgery. Primary Outcome Measure: Patient quality of life was quantified using the validated disease specific, reliable and responsive Rotator Cuff Quality of Life Questionnaire (RC-QOL) measured on a one hundred point visual analogue scale format. Secondary Outcomes: Range of motion, strength, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Score, and the Shoulder Rating Questionnaire

This study aimed to quantify the relationship between passive tension of rotator cuff repair and arm position intraoperatively and to examine the effect of the passive tension on gap formation in cadaveric rotator cuff repairs. Five patients undergoing open surgical reconstruction of the rotator cuff were recruited. The operations were performed by a single surgeon using a standardised technique, which was acromioplasty, minimal debridement, mobilisation of tissue, bone troughs and transosseous suture tunnels. A Differential Variable Reluctance Transducer (DVRT) was placed at the apex of the debrided tendon. An in situ calibration was performed to relate the output from the DVRT to actual tension in the tendon. The tension generated was recorded as the supraspinatus tendon was advanced into a bone trough and secured. The relationship between arm position and repair tension was measured, by simultaneously collecting data from the DVRT and a calibrated goniometer. Particular attention was paid to the three standard positions of post-operative immobilisation; full adduction with internal rotation, neutral rotation with a 30° abduction wedge and ninety degrees of abduction. Five cadaveric shoulders were used for the creation of standardised rotator cuff tears which were then repaired using the technique described above. The difference in tension measured between full adduction and 30° abduction was statically applied for twenty four hours and the gap formation measured. Repair tension increased with advancement of the supraspinatus tendon into the bone trough. Abduction reduced the repair load, this was observed mainly in the first 30° of abduction. The mean reduction in load by 30° of abduction was 34 N. Twenty four hours of 34N static loading caused gap formation in each cadaveric rotator cuff repairs, the mean was 9.2 mm. Rotator cuff repairs tension can be reduced by postoperative immobilisation in 30° abduction. The change in tension with full adduction was caused gap formation in cadaveric rotator cuff repairs