Return To Sport Testing At 6 Months After Arthroscopic Shoulder Stabilization Demonstrates Residual Functional Deficits

Objectives: A good outcome after arthroscopic stabilization for recurrent shoulder instability is often characterized by a successful return to sport while minimizing complications. While many physicians use a minimum of 5 months as a time to return, there is currently no consensus regarding timing or objective criteria for return to sport. The objective of this study is to evaluate the ability of postoperative patients to meet expected goals of achieving appropriate strength and using standardized objective evaluations of strength and physical function. Methods: 33 consecutive patients who underwent arthroscopic shoulder stabilization surgery from 2012 until 2018 and completed their postoperative rehabilitation with the same institution were subjected to functional testing to evaluate their readiness for return to sport. Isometric unilateral external rotation to internal rotation (ER/IR) ratio was measured using a hand held dynamometer at 0 and 90 degrees of shoulder abduction. Posterior rotator cuff activation was evaluated using a repetition to failure technique with 5% body weight at 0 and 90 degrees of abduction. Prone trapezius activation was measured in repetitions to failure with a prone Y exercise. A subset of throwing athletes (N= 11) were evaluated for total arc of motion. Results: Isometric testing at revealed that 18% (6/33, mean ratio 71%) patients met the expected goal of 80% ER/IR strength at both 0 and 90 degrees of abduction, with mean ratios of 71% and 62%, respectively. 73% (24/33) and 42% (14/33) of patients met goal of 90% of the contralateral ER repetitions to failure in rotator cuff activation testing at 0 and 90 degress of abduction, respectively. 55% (18/33) of patients met goal of 90% of contralateral prone Y repetitions to failure on lower trapezius activation testing, with mean. Mean total arc of postoperative motion for the 11 throwers was 91.6% of the contralateral shoulder. Thirty-six percent (4/11) patients did not reach 90% of the total arc of motion of the uninvolved shoulder. Conclusion: A substantial number of athletes in our cohort do not meet the expected goals for their operative shoulder in achieving appropriate strength, particularly in ER, nor arc of motion compared to the contralateral shoulder.

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Arthroscopic shoulder stabilization in the young athlete: return to sport and revision stabilization rates

Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery ◽

10.1016/j.jse.2019.09.033 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 29 (5) ◽

pp. 946-953 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Frank A. Cordasco ◽

Brian Lin ◽

Michael Heller ◽

Lori Ann Asaro ◽

Daphne Ling ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Return To Sport ◽

Young Athlete ◽

Shoulder Stabilization ◽

Arthroscopic Shoulder Stabilization

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Recurrence Rates Following Arthroscopic Shoulder Stabilization are Improved Following a Criteria Based Return to Sport Testing Protocol

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/2325967120s00381 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (7_suppl6) ◽

pp. 2325967120S0038

Author(s):

Adam Popchak ◽

Kevin Wilson ◽

Gillian Kane ◽

Albert Lin ◽

Mauricio Drummond

Keyword(s):

Shoulder Instability ◽

Return To Sport ◽

Return To Play ◽

Return To Sports ◽

Recurrence Rates ◽

Shoulder Stabilization ◽

Recurrent Instability ◽

Testing Protocol ◽

Recurrent Shoulder Instability ◽

Arthroscopic Shoulder Stabilization

Objectives: Recurrent shoulder instability after arthroscopic shoulder stabilization is a challenging complication that often manifests after return to sports. Many physicians use an arbitrary minimum of 5 months from surgery for clearance, although there is little data to support the use of temporal based criteria. Prior literature on ACL reconstruction has demonstrated overwhelming evidence for improved failure rates following return to sport after criteria based testing compared to time based clearance, but no such studies to date have evaluated the use of objective return to play testing protocols on recurrence rates following arthroscopic shoulder stabilization. We have prior presented on a return to sport criteria-based protocol that has demonstrated that a majority of athletes have residual strength and functional limitations which would preclude them from full clearance and return to play at 6 months postoperatively. The purpose of this study is to analyze the impact of a return to play criteria-based testing protocol on recurrent instability following arthroscopic shoulder stabilization. We hypothesized that patients who meet return to play criteria would have less recurrent instability compared to those who did not undergo the testing and were cleared to return based on time from surgery. Methods: Forty eight patients (group I) who underwent arthroscopic shoulder stabilization surgery from 2016 to 2018 with minimum 1 year follow up and were referred during postoperative rehabilitation for functional testing to evaluate readiness for return to sport were included in this retrospective case controlled study. These patients were compared to a control group of forty-eight historical consecutive cases (group II) who did not undergo return to sports testing and were cleared for sports after a minimum of 5 months following surgery. Patients with critical glenoid bone loss or off-track Hill-Sach’s lesions necessitating a remplissage or bone augmentation procedure were excluded from the study. ANOVA and independent t test were performed to analyze recurrence shoulder instability rates defined as dislocations or subluxation symptoms. Results: There was no difference between groups with regard to age ( p=0.64), sex (p=0.24), hand dominance (p=0.84), or participation in contact sports (p=0.66). Patients who underwent return to play criteria based testing protocol had a statistically significant difference in the rate of recurrent shoulder instability (10% vs. 31%, odds ratio=3.9, p<0.001). Conclusion: Athletes who undergo an objective return to play criteria based testing protocol have lower rates of recurrent instability following arthroscopic shoulder stabilization surgery than those cleared by time from surgery. Based on our findings, we strongly recommend the utilization of a criteria based testing protocol for return to play following arthroscopic shoulder stabilization, particularly for sports that have known higher risks of recurrence.

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Return-to-Sport Criteria After Upper Extremity Surgery in Athletes—A Scoping Review, Part 1: Rotator Cuff and Shoulder Stabilization Procedures

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/23259671211021827 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 9 (8) ◽

pp. 232596712110218

Author(s):

Rebecca Griffith ◽

Nickolas Fretes ◽

Ioanna K. Bolia ◽

Iain R. Murray ◽

John Meyer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rotator Cuff ◽

Muscle Strength ◽

Range Of Motion ◽

Scoping Review ◽

Return To Sport ◽

Radiographic Evaluation ◽

Shoulder Stabilization ◽

Level Of Evidence ◽

Specific Test ◽

Definition Of

Background: Standardized criteria are lacking to guide patient return to sport (RTS) after rotator cuff surgery (RCS) or shoulder stabilization surgery (SSS). Purpose: To describe RTS criteria used after RCS and SSS in athletic populations. Study Design: Scoping review; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: This scoping review was based on the PRISMA-ScR (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses–Scoping Review) guidelines. A total of 5 electronic databases (MEDLINE, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, Embase, Google Scholar Advanced search) and the gray literature were searched for English-language studies that reported at least 1 RTS criterion in athletes after shoulder surgery. Studies were assigned to the RCS or SSS subgroup based on the primary procedure performed. Data were extracted and summarized as frequencies or arithmetic mean and standard deviation. Results: Included were 52 studies and 2706 athletes (2206 male, 500 female, with a mean age of 28.8 ± 1.8 years). The RCS group consisted of 14 studies and the SSS group consisted of 38 studies. Time from surgery was the most common RTS criterion reported overall (37/52 studies; 71%) as well as within the RCS (93%) and SSS (63%) subgroups. Muscle strength (25/52 studies; 48%) and range of motion (23/52; 44%) were used by almost half of the included articles. RTS criteria reported less often were absence of pain, successful completion of sport-specific or position-specific test, proprioception, radiographic evaluation, patient-surgeon agreement, minimum time required to participate in pain-free throwing, and satisfactory scapulothoracic mechanics. All studies used 1 to 3 of the above RTS criteria; however, the definition of each criterion differed among the included articles. Conclusion: Time from surgery was the most commonly reported RTS criterion after RCS or SSS in athletes, whereas muscle strength and range of motion were used by almost half of the articles. There was high heterogeneity in the definition of each RTS criterion used among the included studies, which also used different combinations of 1 to 3 RTS criteria. These results suggest the need to better define quantitative and qualitative RTS criteria in athletes undergoing rotator cuff and shoulder stabilization procedures in order to safely return athletes to sport.

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Rotator Cuff Training for Pitchers

Journal of Sport Rehabilitation ◽

10.1123/jsr.7.4.285 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 7 (4) ◽

pp. 285-299 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Michael E. Powers

Keyword(s):

Rotator Cuff ◽

Internal Rotation ◽

High Speed ◽

External Rotation ◽

Shoulder Abduction ◽

Muscular Endurance ◽

Shoulder Injuries ◽

Three Stages ◽

Two Stages

This paper reviews the role of the rotator cuff during two key phases of the pitching sequence and presents a training program for these muscles. The program uses a periodization design consisting of three stages, beginning with a high-resistance/low-repetition eccentric strengthening stage. This is followed by a low-resistance/high-repetition stage for training muscular endurance. The core exercises for these two stages are prone external rotation in the 90/90 position, prone horizontal abduction, side-lying D2 flexion pattern, supine internal rotation in the 90/90 position, prone elevation with 100° of shoulder abduction and external rotation, and standing scapular plane elevation. The final stage of the program uses high-speed functional exercises: 90/90 external rotation, 90/90 internal rotation, D2 PNF flexion pattern, D2 PNF extension pattern, supine plyometric 90/90 internal rotation with a medicine ball, and the “arm whip” through the D2 PNF flexion pattern. The goal of this program is to prepare the muscles for the stresses of pitching and prevent shoulder injuries.

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Arthroscopic Shoulder Stabilization in the High-Risk Young Athlete: Return to Sport and Second Surgery Rates

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/2325967118s00117 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 6 (7_suppl4) ◽

pp. 2325967118S0011

Author(s):

Frank A. Cordasco ◽

Brian Lin ◽

Daphne Ling ◽

Jacob G. Calcei

Keyword(s):

High Risk ◽

Revision Surgery ◽

Shoulder Instability ◽

Return To Sport ◽

Young Athlete ◽

High Rate ◽

Shoulder Stabilization ◽

Recurrent Instability ◽

Arthroscopic Shoulder Stabilization ◽

Second Surgery

Objectives: Shoulder instability in the young athlete has become an increasingly significant clinical problem in recent years. This high-risk population of athletes less than 25 years of age is a difficult cohort to manage because they have high failure rates with non-operative treatment and they reportedly have the lowest return to sport (RTS) rates and highest second surgery rates following arthroscopic shoulder stabilization compared to older patients. The purpose of this retrospective study is to evaluate the two-year clinical outcomes of a cohort of high-risk athletes less than or equal to 22 years of age following arthroscopic shoulder stabilization with a focus on RTS and incidence of second surgery. Methods: The primary outcomes evaluated were RTS and revision surgery following arthroscopic shoulder stabilization performed by the senior author at minimum follow-up of 24 months. Athletes were excluded if they had > 5 pre-operative episodes of instability, significant bone loss or had primary posterior instability. Demographic data was recorded including age, sex, BMI, last recorded range of motion, # episodes of recurrent instability, and revision surgery. A brief survey was completed regarding their shoulder instability history, sports prior to surgery, sports returned to following surgery, satisfaction with and level of RTS, time at which return to sports was achieved, recurrent instability, revision operations, and single assessment numeric evaluation (SANE) score. Results: A total of 67 athletes met inclusion criteria, with a mean age of 17.4 years (range, 13-22 years). There were 19 females (28%) and 48 males (72%). The mean number of instability events was 2 (range 0-5), 57% in the dominant arm and 43% in the non-dominant arm. Evaluation of RTS, demonstrated that 59 (88%) were able to RTS with 56 (84%) of those returning to the same level or higher, while 8 (12%) patients did not RTS for reasons other than recurrent instability or apprehension. Among the 59 patients who RTS, the average time to return was 7.3 months (range: 5-12 months) and baseball and football were the most common sports. There was a gender specific difference with respect to RTS and revision surgery. The male RTS rate was 94% compared to the female rate of 74%. Four of 67 (6%) patients underwent revision stabilization 11 to 36 months for recurrent instability, however all were male athletes 4/48 (8%). There were no female athletes who required revision surgery. Patient reported mean SANE score was 88 (SD, ±15). Conclusion: Shoulder instability in the young high-risk athlete is a complex problem with a relatively high rate of recurrence and revision surgery in the literature. In our case series, we found a relatively low reoperation rate (6%) with a high rate of RTS (88%), at an average time of 7.3 months. There was a gender specific difference with respect to RTS and revision surgery. The male RTS rate was 94% and revision surgery rate was 8% (4/48) while the female RTS rate was 74% and revision surgery rate was 0%. The athletes reported a return to near full function with an average SANE score of 88. We believe the improved outcomes in this cohort of high risk young athletes are related to the pre-operative selection criteria excluding those athletes with a greater number of pre-operative episodes of instability and those with significant bone loss and bipolar lesions as open stabilization and bone augmentation (Latarjet) are more predictable operations in athletes with these risk factors.

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Improved Rotator Cuff Footprint Contact Characteristics With an Augmented Repair Construct Using Lateral Edge Fixation

The American Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/0363546519888182 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 48 (2) ◽

pp. 444-449

Author(s):

Ekaterina Urch ◽

Charles C. Lin ◽

Yasuo Itami ◽

Nilay A. Patel ◽

Michelle H. McGarry ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rotator Cuff ◽

Gold Standard ◽

External Rotation ◽

Contact Forces ◽

Rotator Cuff Tears ◽

Shoulder Abduction ◽

Average Difference ◽

Double Row ◽

Lateral Edge ◽

Contact Pressures

Background: The transosseous-equivalent (TOE) rotator cuff repair construct has become the gold standard for the repair of medium and large rotator cuff tears. Repair failure, however, continues to be a problem. One contributing factor may be the inability of the TOE repair to replicate the native footprint contact characteristics during shoulder movement, especially in rotation. This results in higher strain across the repair, which leads to gapping and predisposes the construct to failure. In an effort to better reproduce the native compression forces throughout the footprint, an augmented TOE construct supplemented with lateral edge fixation is proposed, and the contact characteristics were compared with those of the gold standard TOE construct. Hypothesis: The augmented TOE repair will demonstrate improved footprint contact characteristics when compared with the classic TOE repair. Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Methods: Ten fresh-frozen cadaveric shoulders underwent supraspinatus repair using both the classic TOE double-row construct and the augmented TOE repair. For the augmented repair, 2 luggage tag sutures were used to secure the lateral edge and incorporated into the lateral row anchors. A Tekscan pressure sensor (Tekscan Inc) placed under the repaired tendon was used to collect footprint contact area, force, peak pressure, and contact pressure data for each construct. Results: The augmented construct demonstrated significantly greater contact forces (average difference, 4.9 N) and significantly greater contact pressures (average difference, 23.1 kPa) at all degrees of abduction and all degrees of rotation. At 30° of internal and 30° of external rotation at both 0° and 30° of shoulder abduction, the augmented construct demonstrated significantly greater peak contact pressures. Conclusion: The augmented construct showed superior contact characteristics when compared with the classic TOE technique. The addition of lateral edge fixation to the classic TOE repair significantly improves bone-tendon contact characteristics with minimal additional surgical effort. Clinical Relevance: The results of this study indicate that lateral augmentation of the classic TOE repair produces a biomechanically superior construct that may optimize tendon healing.

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Comparison of Knotless Versus Traditional Glenoid Anchors in Early Outcomes Following Arthroscopic Shoulder Stabilization

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/2325967119s00273 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (7_suppl5) ◽

pp. 2325967119S0027

Author(s):

Darby A. Houck ◽

Jessica Hart ◽

Alexandra N. Schumacher ◽

Eric C. McCarty ◽

Adam J. Seidl ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Significant Risk ◽

Return To Sport ◽

Significant Risk Factor ◽

Labral Repair ◽

Rank Test ◽

Shoulder Stabilization ◽

Chi Square ◽

Arthroscopic Shoulder Stabilization ◽

Patient Reported ◽

Signed Rank Test

Objectives: To compare knotless versus traditional glenoid anchors as well as use of all-suture versus non-all suture anchor material in early outcomes after arthroscopic shoulder stabilization. We hypothesize there is no difference in outcomes between anchor type or material. Methods: Patients who were prospectively enrolled in the Multicenter Orthopaedic Outcomes Network (MOON) Shoulder Group instability database completed a series of patient reported outcomes (PROs) pre and post-operatively at 2 years. At the time of surgery, physicians documented technique utilized and materials employed. The incidence of subsequent shoulder surgeries, re-dislocations or subluxations, and return to sport (RTS) were obtained. Patients were stratified by anchor type (knotless [KL] versus knotted [KT]) and then by anchor material (all-suture [AS] versus non-all suture [NS]). Bivariate analyses were performed to compare outcomes between groups, including the Wilcoxon signed-rank test and chi-square test. Results: A total of 447 patients who underwent primary arthroscopic shoulder stabilization were evaluated, with 112 patients in the KL group (90.2% male) and 335 in the KT group (82.4% male; p > .05). Then there were 70 patients in the AS group (74.3% male) and 377 in the NS group (86.2% male; p = .01). The KT group (24.6 ± 8.9 years) was significantly older than the KL group (21.3 ±7.8 years; p = .0003) while the AS group (26.8 ±9.1 years) was significantly older than the NS group (23.2 ±8.6 years; p = .003). Significantly more patients in the KL group (87.5%) underwent surgery in the beach chair (BC) position than the KT group (45.4%; p < .0001) and significantly more patients in the NS group (59.9%) underwent surgery in the BC position than the AS group (34.3%; p < .0001). The primary direction of instability was anterior, with 78.6% in the KL group, 71.3% in the KT group, 82.9% in the AS group and 71.4% in the NS group. The number of contact athletes was similar in each group, with 75.0% in the KL group, 66.0% in the KT group, 70.0% in the AS group, and 67.9% in the NS group. Significantly more anchors were used in the KL group (4.2 ± 1.6) compared to the KT group (3.9 ± 1.8; p = .003) and significantly more anchors were used in the AS group (5.3 ± 2.4) compared to the NS group (3.7 ± 1.4; p < .0001). Significantly more patients had a redislocation in the KL group (11.6%) compared to the KT group (5.7%; p = .03), and significantly more patients had a redislocation in the NS group (8.2%) compared to the AS group (1.4%; p = .04). There were no significant differences in improvement of any PROs, incidence of RTS, subsequent shoulder surgeries or subluxations between anchor type or material groups. Conclusion: Compared to traditional knotted glenoid anchors, patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder stabilization with knotless anchors can expect to experience similar clinical outcomes. However, use of knotless anchors may be a significant risk factor for subsequent dislocation 2 years after arthroscopic shoulder stabilization surgery, which may be related to patients’ age. Moreover, use of all-suture based anchors may be associated with lower rates of subsequent dislocation which may be attributed to the size of their footprint and the apparent inclination of surgeons using these to utilize more anchors per labral repair, thus increasing points of labral fixation. Continued investigation of potential confounding variables is necessary to identify the direct effect of anchor type and material on patient outcomes.

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Conservative Rehabilitation Provides Superior Clinical Results Compared to Early Aggressive Rehabilitation for Rotator Cuff Repair: A Retrospective Comparative Study

Medicina ◽

10.3390/medicina55080402 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 55 (8) ◽

pp. 402 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Umile Giuseppe Longo ◽

Giacomo Rizzello ◽

Stefano Petrillo ◽

Mattia Loppini ◽

Nicola Maffulli ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rotator Cuff ◽

Rotator Cuff Repair ◽

External Rotation ◽

Clinical Results ◽

Postoperative Rehabilitation ◽

Forward Flexion ◽

Surgery Group ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Group A ◽

Cuff Repair

Background and objectives: To compare the long term clinical outcomes, range of motion (ROM) and strength of two different postoperative rehabilitation protocols after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (RCR) for full-thickness rotator cuff (RC) tears. Materials and Methods: Patients undergoing RCR were divided into two groups. In 51 patients (56 shoulders), rehabilitation was performed without passive external rotation, anterior elevation ROM, and active pendulum exercises in the first 2 weeks after surgery (Group A). In 49 patients (50 shoulders) aggressive rehabilitation was implemented, with early free passive external rotation, anterior elevation ROM, and active pendulum exercises were allowed from the day after surgery (Group A). Results: No statistically significant differences were found in clinical scores, muscle strength, passive forward flexion, passive and active internal/external rotation between the two groups. However, the mean active forward flexion was 167.3° ± 26° (range 90–180°) in group A and 156.5° ± 30.5° (range 90–180°) in group B (p = 0.04). Conclusions: A statistically significant difference between the 2 groups was found in active forward flexion ROM, which was better in patients of group A.

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