Rotator cuff reconstruction associated with inferior acromioplasty is an effective treatment for the patient with a full-thickness rotator cuff tear. This article describes the author’s technique of using multiple sutures to reconstruct the torn rotator cuff tendon. Intuitively, it is felt that this multi-suture technique will distribute forces across the tendon better than will fewer, larger s...

Overuse injuries of the rotator cuff are a significant source of pain and morbidity.1 Despite an aging population and documented associations between rotator cuff tears and increasing age, the pathogenesis of rotator cuff tendinopathy remains poorly understood.1-9 The natural history of rotator cuff tears is unfavorable, as these lesions fail to spontaneously heal and progress in size over time...

Background/objective Rotator cuff tears are common shoulder injuries. Various forms of rotator cuff tears are observed by arthroscopy. Inverted flap tears of the rotator cuff, however, also occur. The aim of the present study was to determine the preoperative characteristics of inverted torn cuffs and clinical outcomes after arthroscopic repair. Methods Seventeen patients (10 men, 7 women; me...

Full-thickness tears to the rotator cuff can cause severe pain and disability. Untreated tears progress in size and are associated with muscle atrophy and an infiltration of fat to the area, a condition known as "fatty degeneration." To improve the treatment of rotator cuff tears, a greater understanding of the changes in the contractile properties of muscle fibers and the molecular regulation ...

Rotator cuff and scapular muscle strengthening exercises are an essential part of shoulder rehabilitation and sports training. Although the effect of exercise training on pain and function have been widely investigated, few studies have focused on the changes in shoulder kinematics and muscle activity after exercise training. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the ef...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the clinical outcome of arthroscopic rotator cuff fixation and, when present, simultaneous repair of the Bankart lesion caused by traumatic dislocation; and to assess whether the size of the rotator cuff injury caused by traumatic dislocation has any influence on the postoperative clinical outcomes. METHODS Thirty-three patients with traumatic shoulder dislocation and co...

Anatomic factors, such as a hooked acromion, have been associated with rotator cuff disorders. Orientation of the glenoid relative to the scapula has been implicated in shoulder instability, but it has not been linked to rotator cuff disorders. The purpose of the current study was to test the hypothesis that superior inclination of the glenoid is associated with full-thickness rotator cuff tear...

We present a case of concurrent rotator cuff tear and axillary nerve palsy resulting from anterior dislocation of the shoulder and a large glenoid rim fracture-a "terrible tetrad." A 61-year-old woman fell on her right shoulder. Radiographs showed anterior dislocation of the shoulder with a glenoid rim fracture, and an MRI two months after injury revealed a rotator cuff tear. Upon referral to o...

BACKGROUND There is no consensus for the optimal postoperative rehabilitation protocol after rotator cuff repairs. OBJECTIVE To determine if there is sufficient level I or II evidence available in the literature for establishment of a uniform, optimal rotator cuff rehabilitation protocol. DATA SOURCES A systematic review of level I and II English-language, prospective, randomized controlled...

BACKGROUND The etiology of rotator cuff disease is age related, as documented by prevalence data. Despite conflicting results, growing evidence suggests that distinct scapular morphologies may accelerate the underlying degenerative process. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the predictive power of 5 commonly used radiologic parameters of scapular morphology to discriminate betwee...