We describe the mid-term clinical results of the surgical treatment of primary degenerative arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint in eight women. They had not responded to conservative treatment and underwent a limited resection arthroplasty. For pre-and postoperative clinical evaluation we used the Rockwood score for the sternoclavicular joint. Postoperatively, the Constant score was also determined. The mean follow-up was 31 months (10 to 82). The median Rockwood score increased from 6 to 12.5 points. The median postoperative Constant score was 87 (65 to 91). Four patients had an excellent, three a good, and one a poor result. All patients were pleased with the cosmetic result. Resection arthroplasty is an effective and safe treatment for chronic, symptomatic degenerative arthritis of the sternoclavicular joint with a high degree of patient satisfaction

We carried out a prospective study of 93 patients undergoing surgery for conditions of the rotator cuff during 1994 and 1995. They were assessed before operation and after six months, and four years, using the patient-based Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS), the SF-36 questionnaire and the Constant shoulder score. The response rates were higher for the OSS and SF-36. The correlation coefficients were high (r > 0.5) between all scores at each stage of the study. While all scores improved substantially at six months, the Constant score was reduced significantly at four years. This did not correlate with the patients’ judgement of the change in symptoms or of the success of the operation. Our study suggests that patient-based measures of pain and function can reliably assess outcomes in the medium term after surgery to the shoulder

We developed a 12-item questionnaire for completion by patients having shoulder operations other than stabilisation. A prospective study of 111 patients was undertaken before operation and at follow-up six months later. Each patient completed the new questionnaire and the SF36 form. Some filled in the Stanford Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). An orthopaedic surgeon assessed the Constant shoulder score. The single score derived from the questionnaire had a high internal consistency. Reproducibility, examined by test-retest reliability, was found to be satisfactory. The validity of the questionnaire was established by obtaining significant correlations in the expected direction with the Constant score and the relevant scales of the SF36 and the HAQ. Sensitivity to change was assessed by analysing the differences between the preoperative scores and those at follow-up. Changes in scores were compared with the patients’ responses to postoperative questions about their condition. The standardised effect size for the new questionnaire compared favourably with that for the SF36 and the HAQ. The new questionnaire was the most efficient in distinguishing patients who said that their shoulder was much better from all other patients. The shoulder questionnaire provides a measure of outcome for shoulder operations which is short, practical, reliable, valid and sensitive to clinically important changes