Comprehensive supervised heavy training program versus home training regimen in patients with subacromial impingement syndrome: a randomized trial

Background There is no consensus on the best training regimen for subacromial impingement syndrome (SIS). Several have been suggested, but never tested. The purpose of the study is to compare a comprehensive supervised training regimen (STR) based on latest evidence including heavy slow resistance training with a validated home-based regimen (HTR). We hypothesized that the STR would be superior to the HTR. Methods Randomised control trial with blinded assessor. 126 consecutive patients with SIS were recruited and equally randomised to 12 weeks of either supervised training regimen (STR), or home-based training regimen (HTR). Primary outcomes were Constant Score (CS) and Shoulder Rating Questionnaire (SRQ) from baseline and 6 months after completed training. Results were analyzed according to intention-to treat principles. The study was retrospectively registered in ClinicalTrials.gov. Date of registration: 07/06/2021. Identification number: NCT04915430. Results CS improved by 22.7 points for the STR group and by 23,7 points for the HTR (p = 0.0001). The SRQ improved by 17.7 and 18.1 points for the STR and the HTR groups respectively (p = 0.0001). The inter-group changes were non-significant. All secondary outcomes (passive and active range of motion, pain on impingement test, and resisted muscle tests) improved in both groups, without significant inter-group difference. Conclusion We found no significant difference between a comprehensive supervised training regimen including heavy training principles, and a home-based training program in patients with SIS.

Mid-term outcomes of a stemless ceramic head anatomic total shoulder replacement

Background In an anatomic shoulder replacement (aTSR) good results have been reported with the use of a stemless humeral prosthesis. In vitro a ceramic articulation with polyethylene has been shown to produce less polyethylene wear particles than with metal. This study aims to evaluate clinical and radiographic results of a stemless aTSR with a ceramic head articulating with a polyethylene glenoid component, with mid-term follow-up. Methods All patients (n = 92) in this prospective study had an aTSR utilizing a stemless humeral component with a ceramic head and a cemented double pegged cemented polyethylene glenoid component for glenohumeral osteoarthritis. Pre- and postoperative clinical evaluations at 2 years were performed using the ASES score, Constant score, SPADI score, DASH score, VAS pain score, patient satisfaction and range of motion. There was a 5-year evaluation of SPADI, ASES, pain, and satisfaction, plus radiographic assessment of glenoid component radiolucent lines and humeral osteolysis. Results Seventy-four cases (68.1 ± 7.1 years) had a five-year follow-up and demonstrated active elevation improvement from 91.3° preoperatively to 151.1° (p < 0.001). Further improvement was identified with the ASES from 41.6 to 94.3, the SPADI from 62.9 to 4.3, VAS pain from 5.6 to 0.4 (0–10), and satisfaction levels were at 96%. Sixty-two cases had no glenoid radiolucent lines with a maximum Lazarus score of 2 in one patient. Constant scores, available up to 2 years, improved significantly from 30.3 to 77.9 (p < 0.001). There was one case that required revision for glenoid loosening. Conclusions Overall, the 5-year results of this ceramic head prosthesis demonstrated good radiographic and clinical outcomes. Trial registration ACTRN12613001183774. Registered: 29 October 2013 - Retrospectively registered. Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR).

Biceps Tenotomy Vs Tenodesis in Patients Younger Than 50, Systematic Review

Purpose: The objective of this meta-analysis was to offer an up-to-date comparison of clinical outcomes of tenotomy and tenodesis in the surgical treatment of LHB tendinopathy in patients under the age of 50. Methods: A literature search was conducted in EMBASE, PubMed/Medline and the Cochrane database from January 2010 to Dec 2020. All studies that compared the clinical results of LHB tenotomy and tenodesis were included. Results: The Meta- analysis data were from nine studies that comprised 669 participants who had LHB tenotomy or tenodesis with or without other shoulder surgeries (mainly rotator cuff repairs). There were no clinically significant changes in the Constant score, the American Shoulder and Elbow Society Score, shoulder pain, elbow flexion strength loss, or forearm supination strength when tenodesis and tenotomy were compared in randomized studies. Patients who have tenodesis were less likely to develop a Popeye deformity. Conclusion: In a meta-analysis, patients who had a tenotomy were more likely to have a Popeye deformity. There is no evidencebased benefit of LHB tenodesis over tenotomy in terms of shoulder function, shoulder discomfort, or biceps-related strength, according to a large number of studies. It's unknown whether LHB tenodesis is beneficial to some patient populations, such as children. Keywords: Biceps, Tenotomy, Tenodesis, Rotator cuff, Meta-analysis

Study of surgical outcome of mid third clavicle fractures surgically managed by locking compression plate

<p class="abstract">Clavicle is one of the most frequently fractured bones in young and active individuals. They account for 2.6-12% of all fractures and for 44-66% of fractures around the shoulder. Majority of clavicle fractures are mid shaft (80-85%). Functional outcome of midshaft fracture not only depends on the union but also on its length which has to be maintained. Thus a displaced or comminuted fracture carries a risk of symptomatic malunion, non-union or poor functional outcome with cosmetic deformity. The recent trend is shifting to internal fixation of these displaced mid shaft clavicle fracture. This was a prospective study of 20 cases of fresh mid third clavicle fracture admitted to MNR medical college and hospital from August 2020 to September 2021. Cases were taken according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Medically unsuitable and patients not willing for surgery were excluded from the study. There were 17 male patients and 3 female patients with mid 1/3 closed clavicle fracture. 12 patients had right sided clavicle fracture and 8 patients had fracture of the left clavicle. All 20 fractures were closed fractures. Majority of the patients sustained fracture due to road traffic accident (high energy trauma) in 16 cases, fall from height in 3 cases and assault in one case. The mean duration to surgery from the day of presentation and injury was 2.1 days for middle third clavicle fractures. Functional outcome as assessed by constant and Murley scoring was favourable with excellent to good result in 97% cases and fair in 3% cases. The average constant score was 93.35 in one year follow up in middle third group. This study has some limitations. The conclusions drawn from this analysis cannot be generalized because of the small number of cases. In conclusion, for middle third clavicle fractures bony union could be achieved with locking compression plates and the clinical outcomes were satisfactory. All the fractures united and there were no cases of nonunion.</p>

GIRD syndrome in male handball and volleyball players: Is the decrease of total range of motion the turning point to pathology?

BACKGROUND: Adaptations in glenohumeral range of motion may affect overhead athletes and lead to shoulder pathologies. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD) and postero-superior impingement among male handball and volleyball players and the relationship between these pathologies and training level (amateur vs. professional), position (attack vs. no attack), experience (> 5 years vs. < 5 years) and sports. METHODS: Sixty-seven handball players and 67 volleyball players with a mean age of 25 [± 5] years were included. The range of motion including external and internal rotation in 90∘ abduction of the dominant and non-dominant shoulder was measured of each examined athlete. Visual analogue scale, disabilities of the shoulder and hand score, constant score and subjective shoulder value were recorded. The athletes were examined for postero-superior impingement and abduction force was measured with an isokinetic dynamometer. RESULTS: Internal rotation was significantly lower and external rotation was significantly greater in the dominant arm for both sports. 72% presented with GIRD. GIRD was more prevalent in athletes active for > 5 years (odds ratio (OR) 3), in those training > 3 times per week (OR 1.4) and in handball players (OR 2.7). 24% presented with postero-superior impingement. Players active for > 5 years (OR 1.22), professionals (OR 1.14), volleyball players (OR 1.19), offensive players (OR 2.2) and athletes with GIRD > 10∘ (OR 1.5) showed a higher prevalence of postero-superior impingement. CONCLUSION: GIRD is a common phenomenon in handball and volleyball players. Offensive players are frequently suffering from postero-superior impingement. GIRD > 10∘ leads in nearly 75% of the athletes to a decrease of total range of motion and a high rate of postero-superior impingement. Thus, a decreased range of motion seems to be the turning point from adaptation to pathology. Therefore, regular controls of range of motion and countermeasures by means of stretching the posterior shoulder joint should be integrated in the training content.

Comparison of Conservative and Surgical Treatment of Grade III Acromio-Clavicular Dislocation

Objectives: To compare the mean of constant score between conservative and surgical treatment in patients with Grade-III acromio-clavicular dislocation. Design: This was an RCT (randomized controlled trial). Study Settings: It was conducted at the Orthopedic Department of Sir Ganga Ram Hospital Lahore over 1 year from July 2020 to June 2021. Study Procedure: This study involved 94 both male and female patients aged between 18-60 years presenting in orthopedic emergency with Grade-III AC dislocation. These patients were assigned into two treatment groups randomly. Patients in Group-A were managed conservatively while those in Group-B were managed surgically with hook plate. Outcome variable was functional shoulder outcome which was assessed after 6 weeks of treatment using constant score. An informed written consent was gained from every patient. Results: The mean age of the patients was 29.9±9.5 years. Majority (n=44, 46.8%) of the patients were young and were aged between 18-30 years followed by 31-40 years (36.2%) and 41-50 years (17.0%). There were 89 (94.7%) male and 5 (5.3%) female patients in the study group with a male to female ratio of 17.8:1. The mean BMI of these patients was 25.2±2.2 Kg/m2. Right side was more frequently involved (54.3%) as compared to the left side (45.7%). Upon follow-up, the mean constant score was significantly higher in patients treated surgically as compared to conservative treatment (86.72±6.75 vs. 67.43±8.93; p-value<0.001). Similar substantial difference was observed through different subgroups based on patient’s age, gender, BMI and side involved. Conclusion: Surgical treatment of patients with Grade-III acromioclavicular dislocation was associated with better functional shoulder outcome as compared to conservative treatment and should be preferred in future practice if there is no contraindication to surgery. Keywords: Grade-III AC Dislocation, Conservative Treatment, Surgical Treatment, Shoulder Function

Measuring Patient Value after Total Shoulder Arthroplasty

Evaluating the value of health care is of paramount importance to keep improving patients’ quality of life and optimizing associated costs. Our objective was to present a calculation method based on Michael Porter’s formula and standard references to estimate patient value delivered by total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). We retrospectively reviewed the records of 116 consecutive TSAs performed between June 2015 and June 2019. Patient value was defined as quality of care divided by direct costs of surgery. Quality metrics included intra- and postoperative complications as well as weighted improvements in three different patient-reported outcome measures at a minimum of one-year follow-up. Direct costs of surgery were retrieved from the management accounting analyses. Substantial clinical benefit (SCB) thresholds and the standard reimbursement system were used as references for quality and cost dimensions. A multivariable linear regression was performed to identify factors associated with patient delivered value. Compared to a reference of 1.0, the quality of care delivered to patients was 1.3 ± 0.3 (range, 0.6–2.0) and the associated direct cost was 1.0 ± 0.2 (range, 0.7–1.6). Ninety patients (78%) had a quality of care ≥1.0 and 61 patients (53%) had direct costs related to surgery ≤1.0. The average value delivered to patients was 1.3 ± 0.4 (range, 0.5–2.5) with 91 patients (78%) ≥ 1.0, was higher for non-smokers (beta, 0.12; p = 0.044), anatomic TSA (beta, 0.53; p < 0.001), increased with higher pre-operative pain (beta, 0.08; p < 0.001) and lower pre-operative Constant score (beta, −0.06; p = 0.001). Our results revealed that almost 80% of TSAs provided substantial patient value. Patient pre-operative pain/function, tobacco use, and procedure type are important factors associated with delivered patient value.

Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty with Bony and Metallic versus Standard Bony Reconstruction for Severe Glenoid Bone Loss. A Retrospective Comparative Cohort Study

There are different techniques to address severe glenoid erosion during reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA). This study assessed the clinical and radiological outcomes of RSA with combined bony and metallic augment (BMA) glenoid reconstruction compared to bony augmentation (BA) alone. A review of patients who underwent RSA with severe glenoid bone loss requiring reconstruction from January 2017 to January 2019 was performed. Patients were divided into two groups: BMA versus BA alone. Clinical outcome measurements included two years postoperative ROM, Constant score, subjective shoulder value (SSV), and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Shoulder (ASES) score. Radiological outcomes included radiographic evidence of scapular complications and graft incorporation. The BMA group had significantly different glenoid morphology (p < 0.001) and greater bone loss thickness than the BA group (16.3 ± 3.8 mm vs. 12.0 ± 0.0 mm, p = 0.020). Both groups had significantly improved ROM (anterior forward flexion and external rotation) and clinical scores (Constant, SSV and ASES scores) at 2 years. Greater improvement was observed in the BMA group in terms of anterior forward flexion (86.3° ± 27.9° vs. 43.8° ± 25.6°, p = 0.013) and Constant score (56.6 ± 10.1 vs. 38.3 ± 16.7, p = 0.021). The BA group demonstrated greater functional and clinical improvements with higher postoperative active external rotation and ASES results (active external rotation, 49.4° ± 17.0° vs. 29.4° ± 14.7°, p = 0.017; ASES, 89.1 ± 11.3 vs. 76.8 ± 11.0, p = 0.045). The combination use of bone graft and metallic augments in severe glenoid bone loss during RSA is safe and effective and can be considered in cases of severe glenoid bone loss where bone graft alone may be insufficient.

No difference in mid-term outcome after superior vs. anteroinferior plate position for displaced midshaft clavicle fractures

To compare outcomes, complications, revisions, and rates of implant removal of superior compared to anteroinferior plating in displaced midshaft clavicle fractures at mid-term follow-up. We retrospectively reviewed 79 patients who underwent operative treatment for displaced midshaft clavicle fractures (Group A: 28 patients with superior plating; Group B: 51 patients with anteroinferior plating) that were at least 2 years postoperatively. Adjusted Constant Score (aCS), Visual Analog Scale (VAS), and Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) score were compared. Bone union, implant removal, complications and revision surgeries were assessed. Group A had a significantly higher aCS compared to group B (90, IQR: 85.0–91.0 vs. 91, IQR: 90.0–93.0; P = 0.037). No significant differences between groups were seen in VAS (P = 0.283) and QuickDASH (P = 0.384). Bone union was achieved in 76 patients (96.2%) with no significant differences between groups (Group A: 96.4% vs. Group B: 96.1%; P > 0.999). There were no significant differences in implant removal rates (Group A: 60.7% vs. Group B: 66.7%; P = 0.630), complications (Group A: 46.4% vs. Group B: 31.4%; P = 0.226) and revisions (Group A: 25% vs. Group B: 9.8%; P = 0.102). Superior and anteroinferior plating result in high bone union rates and good clinical outcomes with similar rates of plate removal.

Is limited external rotation after reverse shoulder arthroplasty associated with glenoidal notching?

Background Reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) is a valuable solution for patients with shoulder pain or injury primarily due to a rotator cuff tear or secondary to traumatic events. Nevertheless, several complications are known to appear, with the most frequent being scapular notching (SN) on the inferior and posterior scapular neck. Controversial data exist about the clinical relevance of SN. Since further consequences are still not clearly understood, we aimed to provide more clarity on which factors, especially external rotation (ER), contribute to the appearance and progress of notching. Methods Constant Score (CS), Subjective Shoulder Value (SSV), flexion, abduction, and ER were evaluated retrospectively in 153 shoulders of 147 patients (mean age 79±7.7 years; 62% women) who underwent RSA between 2005 and 2010. Anteroposterior radiographs were evaluated before and 1, 2, 3, and 5 years after RSA for SN according to the Sirveaux classification. The evaluation was performed by two independent surgeons. Spearman’s coefficient and t-test were used. Results CS, SSV, flexion, and abduction increased significantly 1 year after RSA compared to before (all p < 0.0001). No improvement was shown for ER between the same timepoints. Between 2 and 5 years of follow-up, only flexion decreased by 5°(p = 0.02) while CS, SSV, abduction, and ER remained constant. After RSA, notching increases over time. There was no association between SN and CS, SSV, flexion, abduction or ER at any of the measured timepoints. Higher flexion correlated with higher abduction after RSA at every follow-up (1 year r = 0.88, 2 years r = 0.89, 3 years r = 0.86, 5 years r = 0.86). The interrater correlation test showed a strong correlation (r = 0.7). Conclusion We verified the functional benefits of RSA for patients. Additionally, our findings show that despite radiographic progression of notching and unchanged limited ER, the postoperative improvements in CS, SSV, flexion, and abduction are preserved over 5 years.