Fatal pulmonary embolism after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: a case series

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a serious complication that can occur after orthopedic surgery. Most instances of PE in the orthopedic field have occurred after hip or knee arthroplasties or after fracture surgeries. The occurrence of PE related to arthroscopic shoulder surgery is very rare. We report a case of PE that developed after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, in which the patient did not show preoperatively any remarkable risk factors for PE. We also review the current literature related to this topic.

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Pulmonary Embolism after Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: A Case Report

Case Reports in Orthopedics ◽

10.1155/2013/801752 ◽

2013 ◽

Vol 2013 ◽

pp. 1-4 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Tadashi Yamamoto ◽

Kazuya Tamai ◽

Miwa Akutsu ◽

Kazuo Tomizawa ◽

Takuya Sukegawa ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Pulmonary Embolism ◽

Rotator Cuff ◽

Rotator Cuff Repair ◽

Arthroscopic Surgery ◽

Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair ◽

Lower Limbs ◽

Vein Thrombosis ◽

Contrast Enhanced Ct ◽

Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff ◽

Cuff Repair

Total hip/knee arthroplasty may cause venous thromboembolism (VTE) as a postoperative complication. However, there are few reports on VTE after arthroscopic shoulder surgery. We report a patient who developed pulmonary embolism (PE) 6 days after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair but recovered without sequelae. In this case, the possibility of DVT of the lower limbs was denied by contrast-enhanced CT. Most possibly, the source of PE was deep vein thrombosis (DVT) of the upper limb under Desault fixation which showed arthroscopic surgery-related swelling postoperatively.

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The Effects of a Standard Postoperative Rehabilitation Protocol for Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair on Pain, Function, and Health Perception

Joints ◽

10.1055/s-0038-1673701 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 06 (03) ◽

pp. 145-152 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Roberta Monesi ◽

Maria Benedetti ◽

Alessandro Zati ◽

Daniela Vigna ◽

Domenico Romanello ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Rotator Cuff ◽

Rotator Cuff Repair ◽

Case Series ◽

Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair ◽

Postoperative Rehabilitation ◽

Rehabilitation Protocol ◽

Constant Murley Score ◽

Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff ◽

Cuff Repair

Purpose There is still conflicting evidence to support postoperative rehabilitation protocols using immobilization following rotator cuff repair over early motion. The objective of the study was to evaluate the evolution of pain, shoulder function, and patients' perception of their health status up to 1 year after cuff rotator repair and a standard postoperative rehabilitation protocol consisting of 4 weeks of immobilization followed by a 2-week assisted controlled rehabilitation. Methods Descriptive, longitudinal, uncontrolled case-series study was performed on 49 patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair following traumatic or degenerative lesions. VAS scale for pain, Constant–Murley score for function, and SF-12 score for quality of life were used as outcome measures and were administered before the rehabilitation treatment, at the end of the 2-week rehabilitation, 3 months, and 1 year after surgery. Results VAS pain score decreased significantly along the follow-up reaching almost a nil value after 1 year (0.2). Function as measured by Constant–Murley score had a significant improvement during follow-up, reaching a mean value of 84.6. The short form (SF)-12 score increased over time reaching 46.3 for the physical and 43.8 for the psychological dimension, respectively, at 1 year. Conclusion The present study confirmed an excellent outcome at 1 year after rotator cuff repair using a traditional 4-week immobilization followed by a 2-week rehabilitation protocol without evidence of tendon un-healing or re-tearing. Level of Evidence This is a level IV, therapeutic case series.

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A Novel, Fast, Safe, and Effective All-Inside Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair Technique: Results of 1000 Consecutive Cases

Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine ◽

10.1177/2325967119864088 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 7 (8) ◽

pp. 232596711986408

Author(s):

Ashleigh Elkins ◽

Patrick H. Lam ◽

George A.C. Murrell

Keyword(s):

Rotator Cuff ◽

Rotator Cuff Repair ◽

Glenohumeral Joint ◽

Case Series ◽

Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair ◽

Repair Technique ◽

Ultrasound Evaluation ◽

Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff ◽

Cuff Repair ◽

Retear Rate

Background: Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair is a common but technically difficult surgical technique. This study describes a novel arthroscopic rotator cuff repair technique where the repair was performed while visualized entirely from the glenohumeral joint. A single-row knotless tension band inverted mattress suture technique was utilized with fixation obtained via suture anchors. The technique was relatively easy to perform and demonstrated good repair strength and footprint compression in an ex vivo ovine model. Purpose: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of this technique in 1000 consecutive patients. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: This study was a retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data in 1000 consecutive patients. Included patients underwent primary arthroscopic rotator cuff repair by a single surgeon performing the undersurface repair technique and attended 6-month follow-up with ultrasound evaluation to determine repair integrity. Exclusion criteria were irreparable tears, incomplete repairs, tendon reconstruction with a synthetic patch, and revision cases. Results: The only complication was retear. The overall retear rate at 6 months following repair with the undersurface technique was 8.5%. The mean ± SEM operative time for the technique was 16 ± 0.3 minutes (range, 4-75 minutes). There were no infections. Smaller tears were repaired faster and had better healing rates. Conclusion: The novel all-inside arthroscopic rotator cuff repair technique was safe and significantly faster and provided better healing rates than other repair techniques. The retear rate of 8.5% is, to the authors’ knowledge, the lowest reported rotator cuff retear rate in a large cohort of patients based on a single technique.

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