Purpose of the study: Completely arthroscopic repair of rotator cuff tears is widely considered as the standard treatment. We reviewed a multicentric retrospective series of patients.

Material and methods: This series of arthroscopic repairs of full-thickness tears of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus were assess with the Constant score together with arthroMRI or arthroscan at one year follow-up at least. Data were analyzed with SPSS10. The series included 576 patients who underwent surgery from January 2001 to June 2003. Mean age was 57.7 years, 52% males and 60% manual laborers. Mean preoperative Constant score was 46.4/100 (r13.4). The tear was limited to the supraspinatus in 69% of patients with extension to the upper third of the infraspinagus for 23.5% and to all tendons for 7.5%. The supraspinatus tear was distal in 41.7% of patients, intermediary for 44%, and retracted for 14.3%. Arthroscopic repair was performed in all cases, with locoregional anesthesia for 60.9%. Implants were resorbable for 33% and metallic for 62.1%. Acromioplasty was performed for 92.7% and capsulotomy for 14.9%.

Results: The mean subjective outcome was scored 8.89/10. The Constant score improved from 46.3±13.4 to 82.7±10.3 with 62% of patients being strictly pain free. The force score improved from 8.5±3.7 to 13.6±5.4. Outcome was excellent or very good for 94% of the shoulders at 18.5 mean follow-up. The rate of complications was 6.2% with 3.1% of patients presenting prolonged joint stiffness, 2.7% reflex dystrophy, 0.2% infection and 0.2% implant migration. The cuff was considered normal in 55.7% of the shoulders with an intratendon addition image for 19%, i.e. 74.7% non-torn cuffs. A point leakage was noted in 9.5% with pronounced leakage in 15.7%, i.e. 25.2% recurrent tears.

Discussion and conclusion: The functional outcome obtained after arthroscopic repair of rotator cuff tears is good. Arthroscopy has the advantage of a low rate of complications yet provides good clinical and anatomic results. Age is correlated with functional outcome and healing, but should not be considered as a contraindication.

Purpose of the study: A statistical analysis of correlations between clinical outcome and anatomic results after arthroscopic repair of rotator cuff tears.

Material and methods: This multicentric series of rotator cuff tears was limited to the supraspinatus and infraspinatus. The statistical analysis searched for correlations between the clinical outcome (Constant score) and anatomic results (arthroscan and arthroMRI). The series included 576 patients, mean age 57.7 years, 52%μ males and 60% manual laborers. The tear was limited to the suprapsinatus in 69% of patients, with extension to the upper third of the infraspinatus in 23.5% and all tendons in 7.5%. The supraspinatus tear was distal in 41.7% of patients, intermediary in 44% and retracted in 14.3%. Fatty degeneration of the supraspinatus was noted grade 0 in 59.7%, 1 in 27.1%, 2 in 10.8% and 3 in 2.4%.

Results: The Constant score (46.3 preoperatively and 82.7 postoperatively) was strongly correlated with successful repair. The correlation was found for force, motion, and activity, but not for pain. The clinical outcome was correlated with extension, retraction, cleavage, and degeneration of the preoperative injury. The anatomic result was statistically less favorable for older, more extended, retracted, and cleaved tears or tears associated with fatty degeneration. Age was correlated with the extent of the initial tear and also with less favorable clinical and anatomic results. Work accidents were correlated with less favorable clinical outcome.

Discussion: The large number of anatomic controls with contrast injection facilitated demonstration of several statistically significant correlations. This enabled disclosure in a single series of evidence confirming earlier reports in the literature: repair of cuff tears improves the overall functional outcome for massive tears; the anatomic result depends on the size of the initial tear; pre-operative fatty degeneration is an important prognostic criteria; cuff healing is age-dependent.

Conclusion: Study of anatamoclinical correlations helps guide therapeutic decision making and enables the establishment of reliable prognostic criteria after arthroscopic repair of rotator cuff tears.

Purpose: We report preliminary results after treatment of humeral fracturs with a Targon centromedullary nail (Aesculap(r)).

Material and methods: Forty-five patients, predominantly women, underwent surgery from June 2001 to June 2002. Mean age was 63.5 years. The right side predominated. The series included 28 proximal fractures (65.9 years): 3-4 fragments (n=14), two fragments (n=8), pathological fracture (n=3),metaphyseo-diaphyseal fracture (n=3); and 17 shaft fractures (59.5 years): pathological fractures (n=4), nonunion (n=3), trauma (n=10). The Beach position, fractured limb free, was used with a superolateral approach. We inserted 28 Targon PH nails, including nine long nails, for proximal fractures and 17 Targon H nails for shaft fractures. Nail diameter was 8 mm. Nails were locked with four self-locking proximal screws (5 mm) and two distal screws (3.5 mm). The patients were immobilised with an arm to body brace. Hanging limb exercises were initiated immediately and active exercises at bone healing. The Constant score and radiographic measures were recorded at last follow-up.

Results: Mean follow-up was 12.2 months. We had six deaths and five patients lost to follow-up. Bone healing was achieved at eight weeks on average. Fracture reduction was acceptable for 37 limbs, including three which required open reduction. There were nine postoperative complications: superficial infection (n=1), distal screw pull out (n= 3), distal screw fracture (n=1), nail fracture (n=1). The mean Constant score was 69 (30–96).

Discussion: Proximal fractures of the humerus are often comminuted displaced fractures requiring cephalic arthroplasty. Total functional recovery is often difficult leading to mid and long-term problems for this young population. Stable quadruple proximal locking, associated with good filling of the canal by the nail enables fracture stablisation and satisfactory maintenance of the tuberosities. This stable assembly allows early rehabilitation. These advantages are particularly important for shaft fractures in young patients. The material does however have certain limitations related to fragility of the distal screws which are situated near the circumflex bundle for the Targon PH nail.

Conclusion: Our early results are encouraging for humeral fractures, both in elderly and young patients. This type of osteosynthesis can be a useful alternative to arthroplasty and allows early rehabilitation necessary for good functional recovery.

Purpose: Removal of intra-articular foreign bodies (FB) constitues a major indication for elbow arthroscopy. The purpose of our study was to evalute our experience with arthroscopic treatment of elbow osteochondromatosis.

Material and methods: Between September 1988 and June 2001 we performed elbow arthroscopy in 25 active patients (15 manual workers, 8 athletes including 2 high-level) who presented intra-articular FB osteochon-dromatosis of the elbow. Male gender predominated (n=22). Mean age at intervention was 42 years (17–68). The right (n=21) and dominant (n=24) side predominated. The mean clinical course before arthroscopy was two years. Seven patients had had upper limb trauma (five with elbow injury) a mean 60 months (6–144) before arthroscopy. Clinical assessment before arthroscopy and at last follow-up (mean follow-up 60 months, 8–138) included pain score (visual analogue scale), the notion of blocking and joint effusion and joint motion, as well as index of functional impairment during occupational and recreational activities and a subjective satisfaction index. Standard x-rays and arthroscan were obtained before arthroscopy to identify and evaluate intra-articular foreign bodies. Cartilage damage and presence of synovial anomalies were evaluated on the preoperative scan and during the intervention. Arthros-copy was performed according to the same procedure in all cases: lateral decubitus, arm cuff, anterior expoloration (anteromedial and anterolateral access). Standard x-rays were also obtained after arthroscopy and at last follow-up.

Results: FB were found and extracted in all cases. Cartilage injury was associated in 14 cases. Synovectomy was performed systematically in case of synovitis, a macroscopic synovial anomaly, or to extract a FB trapped in the synovial (n=18). Osteophytes were shaved in 12 cases. The post-arthroscopic period was uneventful with no complications (vascular, nervous, infectious). Clinical improvement was significant and sustained and the occupational and recreational function indexes improved. The subjective satisfaction index remained high five years after arthroscopy. We did not have any clinical recurence (blockage) or radiographically detectable anomaly at last follow-up. Less favourable results (persistent pain) were obtained in patients who had cartilage injury.

Discussion: Arthroscopy appears to be a safe treatment with long-term efficacy for osteochondromatosis of the elbow. Long-term prognosis is influenced most by presence of cartilage injury.

Purpose: Suture anchors used for reinserting soft tissue on bony structures have been studied with the purpose of evaluating hold in bone. There has not however been any work on the influence of the eye design on suture resistance. The purpose of this work was to examine this aspect of the question.

Material and methods: The following anchors were tested: Statak 4 (Zimmer, Warsaw, IN, USA), Corkscrew 3.5, Fastak 2.4 (Arthrex, Naples, FL, USA), PeBA C 6.5 (OBL, Scottsdale, AZ, USA), Mitek GII 5Mitek, Norwood, MA, USA), Harpoon 2 (Arthrotek, Warsaw, IN? USA), Ultrafix (Linvatec, Largo, FL, USA), Vitis 3.5 AND 5 (Tornier, St Isnier, France). The following suture threads were used: Vicryl dec 5, Flexidene dec 5, PDS dec 4. Three types of tests were performed on an Instron 8500+. To study loading at thread rupture, a loop with a constant length was placed under traction in the axis of the anchor until thread rupture. Two measurement modalities were used. For the first, static tension was applied to increase the linear load at the rate of 1.25 mm/s. In the second, cyclic traction applied tension five times at a frequency of 1 Hz with 10N loading increments. To study thread weakening in relation to each anchor, we imposed a back and forth movement on the strand running through the eye using a sinusoidal 10 mm movement at a frequency of 0.03 Hz, one end of the thread being fixed and the other supporting a constant 20 N load. Each thread was tested in each anchor and each type of test was run three times.

Results: Load at rupture of each thread was not affected significantly by the design of the anchor eyes. Rupture generally occurred at the knot level, sometimes at the eye (Harpoon, Fastak, Vitis) for the Flexidene dec 5 thread. Conversely, there were important differences in the thread weakness tests: a knitted thread such as Vicryl was much stronger than the two other threads tested, irrespective of the anchor. Furthermore, resistance for the dynamic test was very variable for the different anchors: 100±20 cycles for corkscrew 3.5 and 3±1 cycles for Vitis 3.5 with Vicryl or 6+/1 cycles for Harpoon 2 with Flexidene.

Conclusion: The design and finishing of each eye had an effect on the resistance of thread moving through the eye. For anchors which weakened thread after a few back and forth movements, it can be assumed that simple knotting damages the thread to a point where early failure occurs at reinsertion. The best results were obtained when the anchor eye had a bevelled groove.