We have examined the accuracy of 143 consecutive ultrasound scans of patients who subsequently underwent shoulder arthroscopy for rotator-cuff disease. All the scans and subsequent surgery were performed by an orthopaedic surgeon using a portable ultrasound scanner in a one-stop clinic. There were 78 full thickness tears which we confirmed by surgery or MRI. Three moderate-size tears were assessed as partial-thickness at ultrasound scan (false negative) giving a sensitivity of 96.2%. One partially torn and two intact cuffs were over-diagnosed as small full-thickness tears by ultrasound scan (false positive) giving a specificity of 95.4%. This gave a positive predictive value of 96.2% and a negative predictive value of 95.4%. Estimation of tear size was more accurate for large and massive tears at 96.5% than for moderate (88.8%) and small tears (91.6%). These results are equivalent to those obtained by several studies undertaken by experienced radiologists. We conclude that ultrasound imaging of the shoulder performed by a sufficiently-trained orthopaedic surgeon is a reliable time-saving practice to identify rotator-cuff integrity

The diagnosis of chronic lesions of the rotator cuff is challenging. We have developed a new index to improve the sonographic diagnosis of chronic tears of the cuff. In a pilot study, we examined 50 asymptomatic healthy volunteers by ultrasound to establish the diameter of the rotator cuff in relation to the tendon of the long head of biceps. Subsequently, the index was calculated in 64 patients who had had shoulder pain for more than three months caused by clinically diagnosed lesions of the rotator cuff. The compensatory hypertrophy of the biceps tendon was quantified sonographically in relation to the diameter of the cuff. Comparison with the contralateral shoulder revealed a significantly higher biceps rotator-cuff ratio (p < 0.05) for patients with torn rotator cuffs. A ratio greater than 0.8 was considered pathological (index positive); the mean ratio in the control group was 0.43. The sensitivity of a positive index was 97.8%, the specificity 63.2%, the positive predictive value 86.3%, and the negative predictive value 92.4% in comparison with surgical findings. Use of the index improves sensitivity in the diagnosis of chronic tears of the cuff by ultrasound

This study evaluates the position of the long head of biceps tendon using ultrasound following simple tenotomy, in patients with arthroscopically repaired rotator cuff tears. In total, 52 patients with a mean age of 60.7 years (45 to 75) underwent arthroscopic repair of the rotator cuff and simple tenotomy of the long head of biceps tendon. At two years post-operatively, ultrasound revealed that the tendon was inside the bicipital groove in 43 patients (82.7%) and outside in nine (17.3%); in six of these it was lying just outside the groove and in the remaining three (5.8%) it was in a remote position with a positive Popeye Sign. A dynamic ultrasound scan revealed that the tenotomised tendons had adhered to the surrounding tissues (autotenodesis).The initial condition of the tendon influenced its final position (p < 0.0005). The presence of a Popeye sign was statistically influenced by the pre-operative co-existence of supraspinatus and subscapularis tears (p < 0.0001). It appears that the natural history of the tenotomised long head of biceps tendon is to tenodese itself inside or just outside the bicipital groove, while its pre-operative condition and coexistent subscapularis tears play a significant role in the occurrence of a Popeye sign

We prospectively studied 26 consecutive patients with clinically documented sensory or motor deficiency of a peripheral nerve due to trauma or entrapment using ultrasound, and in 19 cases surgical exploration of the nerves was undertaken. The ultrasonographic diagnoses were correlated with neurological examination and the surgical findings. Reliable visualisation of injured nerves on ultrasonography was achieved in all patients. Axonal swelling and hypoechogenity of the nerve was diagnosed in 15 cases, loss of continuity of a nerve bundle in 17, the formation of a neuroma of a stump in six, and partial laceration of a nerve with loss of the normal fascicular pattern in five. The ultrasonographic findings were confirmed at operation in those who had surgery. Ultrasound may be used for the evaluation of peripheral nerve injuries in the upper limb. High-resolution ultrasound can show the exact location, extent and type of lesion, yielding important information that might not be obtainable by other diagnostic aids

The aim of this study was to determine the functional outcome and rate of re-tears following mini-open repair of symptomatic large and massive tears of the rotator cuff using a two-row technique. The 24 patients included in the study were assessed prospectively before and at a mean of 27 months (18 to 53) after surgery using the Constant and the Oxford Shoulder scores. Ultrasound examination was carried out at follow-up to determine the integrity of the repair. Patient satisfaction was assessed using a simple questionnaire. The mean Constant score improved significantly from 36 before to 68 after operation (p < 0.0001) and the mean Oxford Shoulder score from 39 to 20 (p < 0.0001). Four of the 24 patients (17%) had a re-tear diagnosed by ultrasound. A total of 21 patients (87.5%) were satisfied with the outcome of their surgery. The repair remained intact in 20 patients (83%). However, the small number of re-tears (four patients) in the study did not allow sufficient analysis to show a difference in outcome in relation to the integrity of the repair

This study reports the clinical and sonographic outcome of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in patients aged ≥ 70 years and aimed to determine factors associated with re-tear. A total of 69 consecutive repairs were performed in 68 patients with a mean age of 77 years (70 to 86). Constant-Murley scores were collected pre-operatively and at one year post-operatively. The integrity of the repair was assessed using ultrasound. Re-tear was detected in 20 of 62 patients (32%) assessed with ultrasound. Age at operation was significantly associated with re-tear free survival (p = 0.016). The mean pre-operative Constant score was 23 (. sd. 14), which increased to 58 (. sd. 20) at one year post-operatively (paired t-test, p < 0.001). Male gender was significantly associated with a higher score at one year (p = 0.019). We conclude that arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in patients aged ≥ 70 years is a successful procedure. The gender and age of the patient are important factors to consider when planning management. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:199–205

We have conducted a prospective study to assess the mid-term clinical results following arthroscopic repair of the rotator cuff. Patients were evaluated using the Constant score, subjective satisfaction levels and post-operative ultrasound scans. Of 115 consecutive patients who underwent arthroscopic repair of the rotator cuff at our institution, 102 were available for follow-up. The mean period of follow-up was for 35.8 months (24 to 73). The mean age of the patients was 57.3 years (23 to 78). There were 18 small (≤ 1 cm in diameter), 44 medium (1 cm to 3 cm in diameter), 34 large (3 cm to 5 cm in diameter) and six massive (> 5 cm in diameter) tears. There was a statistically significant increase in the size of the tear with increasing age (p = 0.0048). The mean pre-operative Constant score was 41.4 points (95% confidence interval, 37.9 to 44.9), which improved to 84.5 (95% confidence interval, 82.2 to 86.9). A significant inverse association (p = 0.0074), was observed between the size of the tear and the post-operative Constant score, with patients having smaller tears attaining higher Constant scores after repair. Post-operatively, 80 patients (78.4%) were able to resume their occupations and 84 (82.4%) returned to their pre-injury leisure activities. Only eight (7.8%) of 102 patients were not satisfied with the outcome. Recurrent tears were detected by ultrasound in 19 (18.6%) patients, and were generally smaller than the original ones. Patients with recurrent tears experienced a mean improvement of 31.6 points (95% confidence interval, 23.6 to 39.6) in their post-operative Constant scores. Those with intact repairs had significantly improved (p < 0.0001) Constant scores (mean improvement 46.3 points, 95% confidence interval, 41.9 to 50.6). Patient satisfaction was high in 94 cases (92%), irrespective of the outcome of the Constant score. Recurrent tears appear to be linked to age-related degeneration. Arthroscopic repair of the rotator cuff leads to high rates of satisfaction (92%) and good functional results, albeit with a recurrence rate of 18.6% (19 of 102)

The aim of this study was to investigate genetic influences on the development and progression of tears of the rotator cuff. From a group of siblings of patients with a tear of the rotator cuff and of controls studied five years earlier, we determined the prevalence of tears of the rotator cuff with and without associated symptoms using ultrasound and the Oxford Shoulder Score. In the five years since the previous assessment, three of 62 (4.8%) of the sibling group and one of the 68 (1.5%) controls had undergone shoulder surgery. These subjects were excluded from the follow-up. Full-thickness tears were found in 39 of 62 (62.9%) siblings and in 15 of 68 (22.1%) controls (p = 0.0001). The relative risk of full-thickness tears in siblings as opposed to controls was 2.85 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.75 to 4.64), compared to 2.42 (95% CI 1.77 to 3.31) five years earlier. Full-thickness tears associated with pain were found in 30 of 39 (76.9%) tears in the siblings and in eight of 15 (53.3%) tears in the controls (p = 0.045). The relative risk of pain associated with a full-thickness tear in the siblings as opposed to the controls was 1.44 (95% CI 2.04 to 8.28) (p = 0.045). In the siblings group ten of 62 (16.1%) had progressed in terms of tear size or development compared to one of 68 (1.5%) in the control group which had increased in size. Full-thickness rotator cuff tears in siblings are significantly more likely to progress over a period of five years than in a control population. This implies that genetic factors have a role, not only in the development but also in the progression of full-thickness tears of the rotator cuff

From a retrospective, cohort study of 205 patients diagnosed with full-thickness tears of the rotator cuff, we determined, using ultrasound, the prevalence of such tears in their 129 siblings. Using 150 spouses as controls, the relative risk of full-thickness tears in siblings versus controls was 2.42 (95% CI 1.77 to 3.31). The relative risk of symptomatic full-thickness tears in siblings versus controls was 4.65 (95% CI 2.42 to 8.63). The significantly increased risk for tears in siblings implies that genetic factors play a major role in the development of full-thickness tears of the rotator cuff

We performed open acromioplasty for intractable impingement syndrome on 96 shoulders (93 patients) with an intact rotator cuff. All the shoulders were examined by ultrasound after a mean interval of nine years. Those showing pathological findings, a poor or fair subjective result, or deterioration of the primary excellent outcome had MRI and/or arthrography. The mean Constant score for the affected shoulders was 70 points and that for 48 non-involved, symptom-free shoulders, 84 points. The subjective outcome was excellent in 45, good in 24, fair in 18 and poor in 9 shoulders. Complete tears were found in 12 shoulders and partial tears in seven. A total of 14 shoulders was symptom-free after acromioplasty, but after an average of five years became painful again and showed deterioration. Of these, six had complete tears and four partial tears of the cuff. The tear rate was 4% in shoulders initially judged to be excellent, 25% in good, 33% in fair and 55% in poor shoulders. The tear rate was 71% in shoulders which subsequently deteriorated. The incidence was higher in men (25%) than in women (11%). We conclude that a tear of the rotator cuff may appear after acromioplasty, although there was no evidence of a tear at the time of operation. This is usually the reason for deterioration in a shoulder with an initially good operative outcome

Impingement syndrome in the shoulder has generally been considered to be a clinical condition of mechanical origin. However, anomalies exist between the pathology in the subacromial space and the degree of pain experienced. These may be explained by variations in the processing of nociceptive inputs between different patients. We investigated the evidence for augmented pain transmission (central sensitisation) in patients with impingement, and the relationship between pre-operative central sensitisation and the outcomes following arthroscopic subacromial decompression.

We recruited 17 patients with unilateral impingement of the shoulder and 17 age- and gender-matched controls, all of whom underwent quantitative sensory testing to detect thresholds for mechanical stimuli, distinctions between sharp and blunt punctate stimuli, and heat pain. Additionally Oxford shoulder scores to assess pain and function, and PainDETECT questionnaires to identify ‘neuropathic’ and referred symptoms were completed. Patients completed these questionnaires pre-operatively and three months post-operatively.

A significant proportion of patients awaiting subacromial decompression had referred pain radiating down the arm and had significant hyperalgesia to punctate stimulus of the skin compared with controls (unpaired t-test, p < 0.0001). These are felt to represent peripheral manifestations of augmented central pain processing (central sensitisation).

The presence of either hyperalgesia or referred pain pre-operatively resulted in a significantly worse outcome from decompression three months after surgery (unpaired t-test, p = 0.04 and p = 0.005, respectively).

These observations confirm the presence of central sensitisation in a proportion of patients with shoulder pain associated with impingement. Also, if patients had relatively high levels of central sensitisation pre-operatively, as indicated by higher levels of punctate hyperalgesia and/or referred pain, the outcome three months after subacromial decompression was significantly worse.

A suspected fracture of the scaphoid remains difficult to manage despite advances in knowledge and imaging methods. Immobilisation and restriction of activities in a young and active patient must be balanced against the risks of nonunion associated with an undiagnosed and undertreated fracture of the scaphoid.

The assessment of diagnostic tests for a suspected fracture of the scaphoid must take into account two important factors. First, the prevalence of true fractures among suspected fractures is low, which greatly reduces the probability that a positive test will correspond with a true fracture, as false positives are nearly as common as true positives. This situation is accounted for by Bayesian statistics. Secondly, there is no agreed reference standard for a true fracture, which necessitates the need for an alternative method of calculating diagnostic performance characteristics, based upon a statistical method which identifies clinical factors tending to associate (latent classes) in patients with a high probability of fracture.

The most successful diagnostic test to date is MRI, but in low-prevalence situations the positive predictive value of MRI is only 88%, and new data have documented the potential for false positive scans. The best strategy for improving the diagnosis of true fractures among suspected fractures of the scaphoid may well be to develop a clinical prediction rule incorporating a set of demographic and clinical factors which together increase the pre-test probability of a fracture of the scaphoid, in addition to developing increasingly sophisticated radiological tests.

We compared the outcome of arthroscopic repair of the rotator cuff in 32 diabetic patients with the outcome in 32 non-diabetic patients matched for age, gender, size of tear and comorbidities. The Constant-Murley score improved from a mean of 49.2 (24 to 80) pre-operatively to 60.8 (34 to 95) post-operatively (p = 0.0006) in the diabetic patients, and from 46.4 (23 to 90) pre-operatively to 65.2 (25 to 100) post-operatively (p = 0.0003) in the non-diabetic patients at six months. This was significantly greater (p = 0.0002) in non-diabetic patients (18.8) than in diabetics (11.6). There was no significant change in the mean mental component of the Short-Form 12, but the mean physical component increased from 35 to 41 in non-diabetics (p = 0.0001), and from 37 to 39 (p = 0.15) in diabetics. These trends were observed at one year.

Patients with diabetes showed improvement of pain and function following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in the short term, but less than their non-diabetic counterparts.

We carried out a prospective, randomised controlled trial on two groups of 40 patients with painful calcific tendonitis and a mean age of 48.4 years (32.5 to 67.3). All were to undergo arthroscopic removal of the calcific deposit within six months after randomisation. The 40 patients in group I received ultrasound-guided needling followed by high-energy shock-wave therapy and the 40 in group II had shock-wave therapy alone. In both groups one treatment consisting of 2500 impulses of shock waves with an energy flux density of 0.36 mJ/mm² was applied. The clinical and radiological outcome was assessed using the 100-point Constant shoulder scoring system and standardised radiographs. The mean follow-up was 4.1 months and no patient was lost to follow-up.

Both groups had significant improvement in their Constant shoulder score. Radiographs showed disappearance of the calcific deposit in 60.0% of the shoulders in group I and in 32.5% of group II (p < 0.05). Significantly better clinical and radiological results were obtained in group I than in group II. Arthroscopic removal of the deposit was avoided in 32 patients of group I and in 22 of group II. No severe side-effects were recorded.

Ultrasound-guided needling in combination with high-energy shock-wave therapy is more effective than shock-wave therapy alone in patients with symptomatic calcific tendonitis, giving significantly higher rates of elimination of the calcium deposits, better clinical results and reduction in the need for surgery.

We evaluated 56 patients for neurological deficit after enucleation of a histopathologically confirmed schwannoma of the upper limb. Immediately after the operation, 41 patients (73.2%) had developed a new neurological deficit: ten of these had a major deficit such as severe motor or sensory loss, or intolerable neuropathic pain. The mean tumour size had been significantly larger in patients with a major neurological deficit than in those with a minor or no deficit. After a mean 25.4 months (12 to 85), 39 patients (70%) had no residual neurological deficit, and the other 17 (30%) had only hypoaesthesia, paraesthesiae or mild motor weakness.

This study suggests that a schwannoma in the upper limb can be removed with an acceptable risk of injury to the nerve, although a transient neurological deficit occurs regularly after the operation. Biopsy is not advised. Patients should be informed pre-operatively about the possibility of damage to the nerve: meticulous dissection is required to minimise this.

Frozen shoulder is commonly encountered in general orthopaedic practice. It may arise spontaneously without an obvious predisposing cause, or be associated with a variety of local or systemic disorders. Diagnosis is based upon the recognition of the characteristic features of the pain, and selective limitation of passive external rotation. The macroscopic and histological features of the capsular contracture are well-defined, but the underlying pathological processes remain poorly understood. It may cause protracted disability, and imposes a considerable burden on health service resources. Most patients are still managed by physiotherapy in primary care, and only the more refractory cases are referred for specialist intervention. Targeted therapy is not possible and treatment remains predominantly symptomatic. However, over the last ten years, more active interventions that may shorten the clinical course, such as capsular distension arthrography and arthroscopic capsular release, have become more popular.

This review describes the clinical and pathological features of frozen shoulder. We also outline the current treatment options, review the published results and present our own treatment algorithm.

There is little published information on the health impact of frozen shoulder. The purpose of this study was to assess the functional and health-related quality of life outcomes following arthroscopic capsular release (ACR) for contracture of the shoulder. Between January 2010 and January 2012 all patients who had failed non-operative treatment including anti-inflammatory medication, physiotherapy and glenohumeral joint injections for contracture of the shoulder and who subsequently underwent an ACR were enrolled in the study. A total of 100 patients were eligible; 68 underwent ACR alone and 32 had ACR with a subacromial decompression (ASD). ACR resulted in a highly significant improvement in the range of movement and functional outcome, as measured by the Oxford shoulder score and EuroQol EQ-5D index. The mean cost of a quality-adjusted life year (QALY) for an ACR and ACR with an ASD was £2563 and £3189, respectively.

ACR is thus a cost-effective procedure that can restore relatively normal function and health-related quality of life in most patients with a contracture of the shoulder within six months after surgery; and the beneficial effects are not related to the duration of the presenting symptoms.

Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2013;95-B:942–6.

In order to compare the outcome from surgical repair and physiotherapy, 103 patients with symptomatic small and medium-sized tears of the rotator cuff were randomly allocated to one of the two approaches. The primary outcome measure was the Constant score, and secondary outcome measures included the self-report section of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, the Short Form 36 Health Survey and subscores for shoulder movement, pain, strength and patient satisfaction. Scores were taken at baseline and after six and 12 months by a blinded assessor. Nine patients (18%) with insufficient benefit from physiotherapy after at least 15 treatment sessions underwent secondary surgical treatment.

Analysis of between-group differences showed better results for the surgery group on the Constant scale (difference 13.0 points, p − 0.002), on the American Shoulder and Elbow surgeons scale (difference 16.1 points, p < 0.0005), for pain-free abduction (difference 28.8°, p = 0.003) and for reduction in pain (difference on a visual analogue scale −1.7 cm, p < 0.0005).

CT arthrography and arthroscopy were used to assess tears of the rotator cuff in 259 shoulders. Tear size was determined in the frontal and sagittal planes according to the classification of the French Arthroscopy Society.

CT arthrography had a sensitivity of 99% and a specificity of 100% for the diagnosis of tears of supraspinatus. For infraspinatus these figures were 97.44% and 99.52%, respectively and, for subscapularis, 64.71% and 98.17%. For lesions of the long head of the biceps, the sensitivity was 45.76% and the specificity was 99.57%.

Our study showed an excellent correlation between CT arthrography and arthroscopy when assessing the extent of a rotator cuff tear. CT arthrography should, therefore, be an indispensable part of pre-operative assessment. It allows determination of whether a tear is reparable (retraction of the tendon and fatty degeneration of the corresponding muscle) and whether this is possible by arthroscopy (degree of tendon retraction and extension to subscapularis).

In a prospective, randomised study on the repair of tears of the rotator cuff we compared the clinical results of two suture techniques for which different suture materials were used.

We prospectively randomised 100 patients with tears of the rotator cuff into two groups. Group 1 had transosseous repair with No. 3 Ethibond using modified Mason-Allen sutures and group 2 had transosseous repair with 1.0 mm polydioxanone cord using modified Kessler sutures. After 24 to 30 months the patients were evaluated clinically using the Constant score and by ultrasonography.

Of the 100 patients, 92 completed the study. No significant statistical difference was seen between the two groups: Constant score, 91% vs 92%; rate of further tear, 18% vs 22%; and revision, 4% vs 4%. In cases of further tear the outcome in group 2 did not differ from that for the intact repairs (91% vs 91%), but in group 1 it was significantly worse (94% vs 77%, p = 0.005).

Overall, seven patients had complications which required revision surgery, in four for pain (two in each group) and in three for infection (two in group 1 and one in group 2).