BACKGROUND Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair provides satisfactory results; however, there is still a high rate of re-tear. The objective of this study was to present a surface-holding technique that we recently developed for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in detail and to evaluate the clinical outcome as well as cuff repair integrity with this new method. MATERIALS AND METHODS A consecutive...

Introduction otator cuff repair is one of the most common surgical procedures performed in the shoulder, and the benefit of repair is well known. Over the past decade, the treatment of rotator cuff tears has evolved from an open procedure to an arthroscopic-assisted (mini-open) technique to an all-arthroscopic technique. Traditional open rotator cuff repairs produce satisfactory results when us...

Strangulation around cuff tissue is a possible cause of retear after rotator cuff repair. Therefore, tendon healing ideally requires changes in suture tension over the cuff tissue in accord with rotator cuff muscle activity. The authors present a type of fixation that mimics the mechanism of the Chinese finger trap. The devised knot-free tendon trap technique resembles the double-pulley-suture ...

Failure of rotator cuff repair is a well-documented problem. Successful repair is impeded by muscle atrophy, fat infiltration, devascularization, and scar tissue formation throughout the fibrocartilagenous transition zone. This case study exemplifies a technique to biologically augment rotator cuff healing. Clinically, pain and function improved. Postoperative magnetic resonance imaging evaluat...

Subscapularis is the most powerful muscle in the rotator cuff. A steep learning curve and constrained space anteriorly make the repair difficult. In massive tears of the rotator cuff, repair of the subscapularis initially makes the massive supraspinatus tear repairable. We present our technique to repair subscapularis and supraspinatus tear by double-row anchors in a knotless and tension-free m...

Rotator cuff disease of the shoulder, a common condition, is often incapacitating. Whether nonsurgical or surgical, successful management of rotator cuff disease is dependent on appropriate rehabilitation. Numerous rehabilitation protocols for the management of rotator cuff disease are based primarily on anecdotal clinical observation. The available literature on shoulder rehabilitation, in con...

Large rotator cuff tears are extremely uncommon in young people and when they occur they may be associated with shoulder instability. This paper reports on a series of six elite rugby union and rugby league footballers who presented with shoulder instability and large rotator cuff tears. They were treated with a two stage procedure: an open rotator cuff repair followed by an open shoulder stabi...

BACKGROUND Traditional biomechanical evaluations of rotator cuff repair techniques employ cyclic loading of the supraspinatus tendon in an isolated medial direction. PURPOSE This study was conducted to evaluate 2 different rotator cuff repair techniques that are currently the subject of debate with cyclic loading and with internal and external humeral rotation to better simulate postoperative...

INTRODUCTION: Rotator cuff tears (RCT) are the most common tendon injury seen in orthopedic patients. Although small tears are amenable to arthroscopic repair, massive RCT repairs can result in re-tears and poor clinical outcomes. Muscle atrophy and fatty infiltration in rotator cuff muscles are major complications of chronic massive RCT and are thought to be among the factors responsible for t...

INTRODUCTION Rotator cuff tears of the shoulder are a common cause of pain and disability and surgical repair of these injuries is plagued with recurrent tear rates ranging from 20-70% [1]. The time from onset of injury to time of surgical repair is one important factor in repair outcome [2]. Animal models have recently been developed to address hypotheses related to rotator cuff tendon to bone...