scholarly journals Irreparable rotator cuff tears: Current treatment options

2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Tristan Juhan ◽  
Michael Stone ◽  
Omid Jalali ◽  
Will Curtis ◽  
John Prodromo ◽  
...  

Rotator cuff disease is one of the most common causes of shoulder pain, yet controversy still exists regarding treatment of “irreparable” tears. Nonoperative management, including physical therapy and steroid injections, should be reserved for those without significant pain or functional impairment. Debridement may be used for low-demand patients, and should be performed with partial cuff repair, subacromial decompression, and/or acromioplasty to maximize outcomes. Biceps tenotomy and/or tenodesis have been shown to reduce postoperative pain and improve satisfaction when performed in conjunction with rotator cuff repairs, with no difference in functional outcome comparatively. Tendon transfers have been advocated with the potential benefit to improve function and decrease pain. More recently, extracellular matrix and human-derived dermal allografts have been used off-label as patch grafts in irreparable tears. Superior capsular reconstructive techniques and subacromial balloon spacers serve a similar function by acting to depress the humeral head in a cuff-deficient shoulder, however long-term data is needed before widespread adoption of these procedures. Finally, reverse shoulder arthroplasty serves as a salvage option for low demand elderly patients.

2022 ◽  
Vol 104-B (1) ◽  
pp. 91-96
Author(s):  
Amit Modi ◽  
Aziz Haque ◽  
Vijay Deore ◽  
Harvinder Pal Singh ◽  
Radhakant Pandey

Aims Long-term outcomes following the use of human dermal allografts in the treatment of symptomatic irreparable rotator cuff tears are not known. The aim of this study was to evaluate these outcomes, and to investigate whether this would be a good form of treatment in young patients in whom a reverse shoulder arthroplasty should ideally be avoided. Methods This prospective study included 47 shoulders in 45 patients who underwent an open reconstruction of the rotator cuff using an interposition GraftJacket allograft to bridge irreparable cuff tears, between January 2007 and November 2011. The Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS), pain score, and range of motion (ROM) were recorded preoperatively and at one year and a mean of 9.1 years (7.0 to 12.5) postoperatively. Results There was significant improvement in the mean OSS from 24.7 (SD 5.4) preoperatively to 42.0 (SD 6.3) at one year, and this improvement was maintained at 9.1 years (p < 0.001), with a score of 42.8 (SD 6.8). Similar significant improvements in the pain score were seen and maintained at the final follow-up from 6.1 (SD 1.6) to 2.1 (SD 2.3) (p < 0.001). There were also significant improvements in the ROM of the shoulder, and patient satisfaction was high. Conclusion The use of an interposition human dermal allograft in patients with an irreparable rotator cuff tear leads to good outcomes that are maintained at a mean of nine years postoperatively. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2022;104-B(1):91–96.


2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (9) ◽  
pp. 1493-1505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua A. Greenspoon ◽  
Maximilian Petri ◽  
Ryan J. Warth ◽  
Peter J. Millett

2016 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 315-323 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Petri ◽  
J.A. Greenspoon ◽  
S.G. Moulton ◽  
P.J. Millett

Background: Massive rotator cuff tears in active patients with minimal glenohumeral arthritis remain a particular challenge for the treating surgeon. Methods: A selective literature search was performed and personal surgical experiences are reported. Results: For patients with irreparable rotator cuff tears, a reverse shoulder arthroplasty or a tendon transfer are often performed. However, both procedures have rather high complication rates and debatable long-term results, particularly in younger patients. Therefore, patch-augmented rotator cuff repair or superior capsule reconstruction (SCR) have been recently developed as arthroscopically applicable treatment options, with promising biomechanical and early clinical results. Conclusion: For younger patients with irreparable rotator cuff tears wishing to avoid tendon transfers or reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, both patch-augmentation and SCR represent treatment options that may delay the need for more invasive surgery.


2019 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 100-105
Author(s):  
Jong-Ho Kim ◽  
Jong-Ick Kim ◽  
Hyo-Jin Lee ◽  
Dong-Jin Kim ◽  
Gwang Young Sung ◽  
...  

Suture anchors are commonly used in shoulder surgeries, especially for rotator cuff tears. Peri-anchor cyst formation, however, is sometimes detected on follow-up radiologic image after surgery. The purpose of this report is to discuss the case of a patient who presented with regression of extensive peri-anchor cyst on postoperative 4-year follow-up magnetic resonance imaging and had good clinical outcome despite peri-anchor cyst formation after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.


PLoS ONE ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 15 (11) ◽  
pp. e0241277
Author(s):  
Tim Vogler ◽  
Dimosthenis Andreou ◽  
Georg Gosheger ◽  
Nico Kurpiers ◽  
Clara Velmans ◽  
...  

Objectives To evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcome of low-demand patients with massive rotator cuff tears undergoing arthroscopic debridement in mid- and long-term follow-up, as well as the rate of conversion to reverse shoulder arthroplasty. Methods We performed a retrospective analysis of 19 patients with a mean age at surgery of 68 years (range, 55–80 years) from a previously described consecutive cohort and after a mean follow up of 47 month (FU1) and 145 month (FU2). The functional outcome was evaluated with the VAS score, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, and the age- and gender-adjusted Constant (aCS) score. The radiographic outcome was classified according to the Hamada classification. Non-parametric analyses were carried out with the Mann-Whitney U for independent samples and the Wilcoxon signed-rank test for related samples. Results Five patients (26%) developed symptomatic cuff tear arthropathy and underwent reverse shoulder arthroplasty after a mean time of 63 months (range, 45–97 months). These patients were excluded from further analyses. The mean VAS score of the remaining 14 patients at FU1 was significantly lower compared to preoperatively (P = .041), while there were no significant differences between the VAS score at FU1 and FU2 (P = 1.0). The ASES score of the affected shoulder at FU1 was significantly higher compared to prior to surgery (P = .028), while there were no significant differences between the scores of the affected shoulder between FU1 and FU2 (P = .878). While the ASES score of the contralateral shoulder at FU1 was significantly higher than the score of the affected shoulder (P = .038), there were no significant differences in the ASES scores of the affected and the healthy shoulder at FU2 (P = .575). The evaluation of the aCS produced similar results. A progression of the Hamada grade was documented in 6 patients. Conclusions Arthroscopic debridement is a safe and valid option for low-demand middle-age or elderly patients with symptomatic massive rotator cuff tears, leading to a significant pain relief and significantly improved functional outcome at mid- and long-term follow up. However, about a quarter of the patients in our cohort had to undergo reverse shoulder arthroplasty due to symptomatic cuff tear arthropathy. Furthermore, some of the remaining patients continued to undergo radiographic progression. This might be due to the natural history of their disease and/or the surgical procedure, and the clinical relevance of this finding should be evaluated in further studies.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Florian Grubhofer ◽  
Jon JP Warner

AbstractTreatment of irreparable rotator cuff tears in young active patients is challenging. A variety of therapeutic options are available. Only a few joint-preserving treatment options show reliable improvements over a long-term follow-up period. However, the treatment outcomes of joint preservation procedures are not comparable to those of RTSA, as patients are typically younger and have higher expectations. It is remarkable that most of the joint-preserving therapeutic options for irreparable rotator cuff ruptures lack long-term treatment results. This article highlights the indications, technical aspects, and treatment outcomes of the most commonly performed joint-preserving surgeries for irreparable rotator cuff rupture.


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