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Prior literature has associated preoperative corticosteroid shoulder injection (CSI) with infection following shoulder surgery. A recent study found an equally elevated risk of total knee arthroplasty infection with preoperative injection of either CSI or hyaluronic acid. The implication is that violation of a joint prior to surgery, even in the absence of corticosteroid, may pose an elevated risk of infection following orthopedic surgery. The aim of the present study was to determine whether violation of the shoulder joint for Magnetic Resonance Arthrogram (MRA) poses an elevated risk of infection following shoulder arthroscopy and to compare this risk to that introduced by preoperative CSI.A national, all-payer database was queried to identify patients undergoing shoulder arthroscopy between January 2015 and October 2020. Patients were stratified into the following groups: (1) no CSI or MRA within 6 months of surgery (n = 5,000), (2) CSI within 2 weeks of surgery (n = 1,055), (3) CSI between 2 and 4 weeks prior to surgery (n = 2,575), (4) MRA within 2 weeks of surgery (n = 414), (5) MRA between 2 and 4 weeks prior to surgery (n = 1,138). Postoperative infection (septic shoulder or surgical site infection) was analyzed at 90-days, 1-year, and 2-years postoperatively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis controlled for differences among groups.MRA within 2 weeks prior to shoulder surgery was associated with an increased risk of infection at 1 year (OR, 2.17; P = 0.007), while MRA 2-4 weeks preceding surgery was not associated with an increased risk of postoperative infection at any time point. By comparison, CSI within 2 weeks prior to surgery was associated with an increased risk of postoperative infection at 90-days (OR, 1.72; P = 0.022), 1-year (OR, 1.65; P = 0.005) and 2-years (OR, 1.63; P = 0.002) following surgery. Similarly, CSI 2-4 weeks prior to surgery was associated with an increased risk of postoperative infection at 90-days (OR, 1.83; P0.001), 1-year (OR, 1.62; P0.001), and 2-years (OR, 1.79; P0.001).Preoperative CSI within 4 weeks of shoulder arthroscopy elevates the risk of postoperative infection. Needle arthrotomy for shoulder MRA elevates the risk of infection in a more limited fashion. Avoidance of MRA within 2 weeks of shoulder arthroscopy may mitigate postoperative infection risk. Additionally, the association between preoperative CSI and postoperative infection may be more attributed to medication profile than to needle arthrotomy.

Surgical management of coronal shear fractures of the distal humerus is associated with a high rate of complications. Several surgical approaches have been described to address these fractures. The complication profiles associated with each approach have not previously been compared, and that is the aim of the present study.A systematic review of the literature was performed to identify all studies addressing coronal shear fractures of the distal humerus published between 2001 and January 2022. Of the 189 articles identified, 45 met the criteria for inclusion. Summaries of continuous data were calculated using the inverse variance method for pooling with random effects models. Fixed effects model estimates were reported unless significant heterogeneity was observed between studies. A subset of 6 studies reported the surgical approach and complications associated with the operative management of capitellar shear fractures without posterior comminution. The complication profiles of the extended lateral and anterolateral approaches were compared.The 45 studies included yielded 899 patients. The average age was 44.9 years (95% confidence interval [CI]: 39.7 to 50.2). The fracture type was Dubberley A in 38% (n = 342), Dubberley B in 33% (n = 300), and not reported in the remainder. The reoperation rate was 13.8% (95% CI: 9.6% to 19.5%). Pooled complication rates included post-traumatic arthritis in 21.2% (95% CI: 18.0% to 24.9%), heterotopic ossification in 12.0% (95% CI: 9.2% to 15.6%), nerve injury in 7.8% (95% CI: 5.6% to 10.9%), and avascular necrosis in 7.4% (95% CI: 5.3% to 10.2%). The complication rate in noncomparative studies was 25.8% following the lateral approach and 16.7% following the anterolateral approach. Reported complications following the anterolateral approach were pain (9.5%) and nerve injury (7.1%). Reported complications following the lateral approach included arthritis (9.1%), heterotopic ossification (6.1%), avascular necrosis (4.5%), instability (3.0%), nerve injury (1.5%), and wound issues (1.5%).Complications are common following operative management of capitellar shear fractures. In noncomparative studies, the complication rate was higher following the extended lateral compared to the anterolateral approach for Dubberley A fractures. Additionally, the reported complications following the extended lateral approach may impact long-term outcomes. Insufficient comparative evidence currently exists to recommend one approach over the other. High-quality comparative studies are needed.