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In this study, we analyzed the results of two series of patients treated for impingement syndrome by undergoing arthroscopic subacromial decompression (ASD). Patients had not responded to nonoperative treatment. Group 1 included 112 consecutive patients (average age, 41 years) with 96 (77%) patients available for 2-year follow-up. Group 2 (28 patients, 29 shoulders; average age, 43 years; range, 22 to 72) had ASD and the subacromial space digitally palpated to determine if adequate decompression was performed. Twenty-two (85%) of 26 shoulders were available for follow-up. At follow-up, pain, function, range of motion, strength, impingement signs, and patient satisfaction were assessed. In group 1, according to the Neer criteria, 48% of the patients were graded as satisfactory and 52% unsatisfactory. Workers' Compensation patients had a satisfactory rate of 32%, whereas non-Workers' Compensation patients had a satisfactory rate of 59%. Twenty patients had open acromioplasty after ASD. Inadequate decompression was noted in 14 of 20 failed patients. In group 2, 86% of the patients were graded as satisfactory according to the Neer criteria, with 14% unsatisfactory, which included the 2 failures. The 2 (9%) of 22 shoulders that failed the ASD went on to further surgical treatment. Average follow-up was 56 months (range, 13 to 78 months). The average American Shoulder and Elbow Society score at follow-up was 90.4. No difference between Workers' Compensation cases and the other cases was seen (P <.7). Finger palpation can help to improve outcomes by allowing the surgeon to assess the adequacy of decompression.

The most widely used radiographic classification system for acromial morphology identifies three distinct acromial shapes: type I (flat), type II (curved), and type III (hooked). The purpose of this study was to measure the interobserver and intraobserver reliability of determinations of acromial morphology as defined by this system. Between 1990 and 1992, one hundred twenty-six supraspinatus outlet radiographs were obtained from 126 patients by technicians from Triangle Orthopaedic Associates in Durham, N.C. Six fellowship-trained shoulder surgeons independently reviewed each radiograph and classified it as type I, II, or III on the basis of established guidelines. Two surgeons classified each film a second time in random order. Analysis of variance was performed to obtain coefficients for interobserver and intraobserver reliability. Consensus ratings were then used to classify the 126 radiographs into consensus type I, consensus type II, or consensus type III groups. Percentages of type I, II, and III individual ratings within each consensus group were determined. The intraobserver reliability coefficient was 0.888, interpreted as good to excellent reliability. The interobserver reliability coefficient was 0.516, interpreted as poor to fair reliability. Of the 126 radiographs, 26 (20.6%) were rated as consensus type I, 76 (60.3%) were rated as consensus type II, and 24 (19.1%) were rated as consensus type III. The reliability of observer ratings was lowest when delineation between acromial types II and III was required. The low interobserver reliability makes comparisons of studies by different authors difficult to interpret and obscures the true incidence of acromial morphologic types. It also questions reported correlations between acromial type and shoulder pathologic conditions. It is concluded that a system that incorporates more objective classification criteria and acknowledges the continuous nature of acromial morphologic types may improve interobserver reliability and validate the system's use in making clinical and surgical judgments.