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Several letters in response to the article "Arthroscopic Release of the Vastus Lateralis Tendon for Recurrent Patellar Dislocation" by G. William Woods, Hussein Elkousy, and Daniel P O'Connor published in the May 2006 issue of the journal are presented.

Background: The use of ultrasound as a viable diagnostic tool for routine office visit evaluation of rotator cuff integrity is slowly gaining acceptance in orthopedic practice. However, the reliability of accurately assessing rotator cuff tear reparability by ultrasound has limited evidence in the literature. The purpose of this study was to compare preoperative assessment of cuff tear reparability via ultrasound with the arthroscopic determination of reparability at the time of surgery., Methods: We prospectively collected preoperative ultrasound and arthroscopic imaging data on 145 patients (80 or 55% men and average age of 60.7 years) who underwent arthroscopic posterior superior rotator cuff repair. Three independent experienced orthopedic surgeons retrospectively reviewed all ultrasound studies and arthroscopic imaging and determined if the posterior superior rotator cuff tendon edge was able to be viewed via ultrasound and determined with the arthroscopic images if the tear was reparable., Results: On review of the ultrasound and arthroscopic data, if the edge of the rotator cuff tendon was able to be viewed on the coronal ultrasound image, it was most likely reparable with a positive predictive value of 97.6% and a positive likelihood ratio of 5.8. Sensitivity was 84.4%, and specificity was 76.9%. The negative predictive value was 37.5%, and the negative likelihood ratio was 0.17. The interobserver reliability was 0.63, and the observers were unanimous in determining the tendon edge was able to be visualized in 99 of 145 cases (68%)., Conclusion: Preoperative ultrasound evaluation of the shoulder for posterior superior rotator cuff tears is a useful tool for assessing rotator cuff integrity and may help predict intraoperative reparability of the tendon. This study demonstrates that if the cuff tear edge is able to be visualized, there is a high probability of successful arthroscopic restoration of the tendon to its native attachment. Conversely, if the tear edge is unable to be visualized, there is a moderate chance of the tear being irreparable. These results help expand the knowledge base of the usefulness of in-office ultrasound performed by the surgeon in predicting the results of surgical intervention for rotator cuff tears., (© 2021 Published by Elsevier Inc. on behalf of American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons.)

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether fellowship training affected trends and complications of operative clavicle fracture treatment in newly trained orthopedic surgeons., Methods: The American Board of Orthopedic Surgery (ABOS) database was utilized to identify cases of open treatment of clavicle fractures submitted by ABOS Part-II Board Certification candidates. From 2005 to 2017, 3148 candidates performed at least one open clavicle fracture treatment. Overall, 6919 cases were included; 3516 of these had over 6 weeks of follow-up. Candidates were divided by fellowship type into 5 groups: Trauma, Sports Medicine, Hand and Upper Extremity or Shoulder, multiple, and other or no fellowship(s). Group differences were analyzed with ANOVA and Bonferroni post hoc analysis. Complications, reoperations, nonunion rates, and readmissions between groups were evaluated with Chi-squared test and logistic regression analyses., Results: Case volume during the study period was significantly higher after 2007. Trauma candidates performed significantly more operations for clavicle fracture per candidate while candidates with other or no fellowship(s) performed significantly fewer operations per candidate. Patients treated by Trauma candidates were significantly older, had significantly fewer early surgical complications and significantly more early medical complications. Nonunion rates were not significantly different between groups., Conclusion: Candidates treated clavicle fractures surgically more often in 2007 and beyond. Trauma candidates treated older patients, had fewer early surgical complications, and had more medical complications. Reoperation, readmission and nonunion rates were not significantly different between groups., (© 2020 Delhi Orthopedic Association. All rights reserved.)

The potential adverse effect of body mass index (BMI) on shoulder function scores after reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) has not been investigated. We conducted a study to examine outcomes of RSA performed for rotator cuff tear arthropathy (RCTA) across BMI categories (normal weight, overweight, obese). We hypothesized that, compared with normal-weight patients, obese patients would have worse shoulder function scores, worse mobility, and more complications. Using a prospective shoulder arthroplasty registry, we identified 77 primary RSAs performed for RCTA with minimum 2-year follow-up. Thirty-four patients had normal weight (BMI <25 kg/m2), 21 were overweight (BMI 25-30 kg/m2), and 22 were obese (BMI >30 kg/m2). Shoulder function scores, mobility, and satisfaction were evaluated before surgery and at final follow-up. The 3 BMI groups were not significantly different on demographic factors, preoperative shoulder function scores, or preoperative mobility (P > .05). For each group, shoulder function scores and mobility significantly improved between the preoperative and final follow-up assessments (P < .001). Patient satisfaction was similar between groups (P = .967). Improved shoulder function scores, mobility, and patient satisfaction can be expected after RSA for RCTA in patients regardless of BMI.

Although ganglion cysts of the anterior cruciate ligament have been described in the literature, they are a relatively rare phenomenon. Cyst formation after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction is even less frequent, with only a few reported cases. The proposed etiology of these cysts has been attributed to a number of causes, including the use of bioabsorbable screws, Gore-Tex (W. L. Gore and Associates, Flagstaff, AZ) grafts, extra-articular fluid extravasation secondary to direct tibial tunnel communication, allografts with or without ethylene oxide sterilization, and the use of nonabsorbable suture. We report an unusual case of a recurrent pretibial ganglion cyst that initially formed more than 5 years after an anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and recurred 2 years after resection of the mass. We believe the initial surgical resection was unsuccessful probably because the foreign body irritant was not identified. Only after resection of the entire stalk of the cyst and removal of all of the inciting suture material that was found near the entrance of the tibial tunnel were we able to definitively eradicate the ganglion cyst.

Traditional management of end-stage pain and degeneration of the proximal biceps tendon has included open tenodesis of the biceps tendon. Several methods have been described. More recently, however, arthroscopic techniques have been developed. This article introduces a novel method of arthroscopic biceps tenodesis that does not require any specialized hardware.