Arthroscopic Management of Scapulothoracic Bursitis: Clinical Outcomes and Assessment of Novel Bony Parameters on Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Background: Scapulothoracic bursitis is a significant clinical condition that limits day-to-day function. Arthroscopic scapular debridement and resection have provided satisfactory outcomes; however, techniques, approaches, and recommendations remain varied. Novel bony parameters have also gained increasing interest owing to their value in preoperative planning. Purpose: To assess midterm clinical outcomes after the arthroscopic management of scapulothoracic bursitis and to identify and measure novel bony parameters on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A total of 8 patients underwent arthroscopic scapular debridement and bursectomy; 5 of the 8 patients underwent additional medial scapulectomy. There were 5 male (62.5%) and 3 female (37.5%) patients with a mean age of 30.1 ± 12.3 years (range, 19-58 years). Inclusion criteria for surgery were patients with symptomatic scapulothoracic bursitis for whom extensive nonoperative modalities had been utilized for at least 6 months but failed. Outcome measures included the Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS), University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder rating scale, Constant Shoulder Score (CSS), and visual analog scale (VAS) for pain. The bony parameters included scapular shape, anterior offset, costomedial angle, and medial scapular corpus angle (MSCA). Results: The follow-up duration was at least 2 years for all patients (mean follow-up, 25.0 ± 4.1 months [range, 24-35 months]). The majority of patients had a concave-shaped scapula (62.5%). The mean anterior offset was 24.3 ± 3.4 mm, and the mean costomedial angle was 132.3° ± 9.6°. Half the patients had a positive MSCA, while the other half had a negative MSCA. A statistically significant improvement was observed in the OSS, UCLA, CSS, and VAS scores from preoperatively to 2-year follow-up ( P < .001 for all). No complications were observed. Conclusion: Arthroscopic scapular debridement and resection provided satisfactory midterm clinical outcomes for the treatment of scapulothoracic bursitis.

A Rare Case of Scapulothoracic Bursitis of the Chest Wall with Numerous Rice Grain like Loose Bodies- A Pathological Correlation

Scapulothoracic bursitis is a rare disease which is caused from the inflammation of the bursa secondary to trauma or its overuse, owing to sports activities or work. It usually presents with pain, swelling without redness at the scapulothoracic interface. A 22-year-old male presented to the surgeon with the swelling in the left scapular region following a history of trauma. Ultrasound (USG) showed a large loculated fluid collection with internal debris outside the muscular plane. With the clinical diagnosis of haematoma surgical resection was done. It showed a cystic swelling containing haemorrhagic fluid attached to the chest wall. The specimen was sent for histopathological correlation. The thickened cystic structure had numerous rice grain like loose bodies on the inner surface. Microscopy showed fibrocollageneous wall with congested blood vessels, granulation tissue, fibrinoid bodies and macrophages. This case report describes a cystic lesion in left scapular region diagnosed as a case of scapulothoracic bursitis based on pathological correlation. Surgery was an effective treatment for this case with no complication and recurrence on follow-up.

The effectiveness of extracorporeal shock wave therapy in snapping scapula

Background: Bursitis of the snapping scapula is commonly a misdiagnosed problem. Extracorporeal shockwave therapy (ESWT) has been used successfully in the treatment of many chronic inflammatory conditions. The aim of this study was to assess and compare the effectiveness of ESWT in the treatment of scapulothoracic bursitis with the outcome of corticosteroid injection. Methods: Using the randomized controlled trials 43 patients with scapulothoracic bursitis were divided into two groups. Group 1 ( n = 22) received three sessions of ESWT. Group 2 ( n = 21) received a single local injection of 80 mg of methylprednisolone. Visual analogue scale (VAS) scores were recorded at each follow-up, whereas the level of satisfaction was evaluated using the Roles and Maudsley criteria. Results: In group 1, the average VAS scores after 1, 2, 3, and 6 months were 39, 30, 27, and 16, respectively, whereas, in group 2, the average VAS scores were 46, 44, 35, and 36, respectively. There was no statistical significance between the two groups in the first and second months. However, after 3 and 6 months, group 1 revealed lower average VAS scores compared to that of the second group with p-values (0.012 and 0.001), respectively. Roles and Maudsley criteria showed that first group patients were 46% excellent, 36% good, 14% acceptable, and 4% had poor results. However, second group patients were 24% excellent, 33% good, 19% acceptable, and 24% had poor results. Conclusion: We believe that ESWT is a beneficial and trustable method of treatment and can be strongly recommended in painful cases of scapulothoracic bursitis.

Surgical Correction of Posttraumatic Scapulothoracic Bursitis, Rhomboid Major Muscle Injury, Ipsilateral Glenohumeral Instability, and Headaches Resulting from Circus Acrobatic Maneuvers

We report the case of a 28-year-old transgender (male-to-female) patient that had a partial tear of the rhomboid major tendon, scapulothoracic bursitis, and glenohumeral instability on the same side. These conditions resulted from traumatic events during circus acrobatic maneuvers. Additional aspects of this case that make it unique include (1) the main traumatic event occurred during a flagpole exercise, where the patient’s trunk was suspended horizontally while a vertical pole was grasped with both hands, (2) headaches were associated with the periscapular injury and they improved after scapulothoracic bursectomy and rhomboid tendon repair, (3) surgical correction was done during the same operation with an open anterior capsular-labral reconstruction, open scapulothoracic bursectomy without bone resection, and rhomboid tendon repair, (4) a postoperative complication of tearing of the serratus anterior and rhomboid muscle attachments with recurrent scapulothoracic pain occurred from patient noncompliance, and (5) the postoperative complication was surgically corrected and ultimately resulted in an excellent outcome at the one-year final follow-up.