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Purpose of Review: The management options for anterior shoulder instability with minimal bone loss or with critical bone loss are well established. However, there is less clear evidence to guide management for patients with subcritical bone loss, the spectrum of pathology where soft tissue repair alone is prone to higher rates of failures. In this range of bone loss, likely around 13.5% to 20%, the goal of surgery is to restore function and stability while limiting morbidity. As with many procedures in the shoulder, this decision should be tailored to patient anatomy, functional goals, and risk factors. This article provides a review of our current understanding of subcritical bone loss and treatment strategies as well as innovations in management., Recent Findings: While surgeons have largely understood that restoration of anatomy is important to optimize outcomes after stabilization surgery, there is increasing evidence that reconstructing bony anatomy and addressing both osseous and soft tissue structures yields better results than either alone. Even in the setting of subcritical bone loss, there is likely a benefit to combined osseous augmentation with soft tissue management. Additionally, there is new evidence to support management of even on-track humeral lesions when the distance to dislocation is sufficiently small, particularly for athletes. Surgeons must balance bony and soft tissue restoration to achieve optimal outcomes for anterior instability with subcritical bone loss. There are still significant limitations in the literature and several emerging techniques for management will require further study to prove their long-term efficacy. Beyond surgery, there should be a focus on a collaborative treatment strategy with the surgeon, patient, and therapists to achieve high-level function and minimize recurrence., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: To determine whether scapular morphology could predict isolated supraspinatus tendon tear propagation after exercise therapy. We hypothesised that a larger critical shoulder angle (CSA) and type III acromial morphology predict a positive change in tear size., Methods: Fifty-nine individuals aged 40-70 years with isolated symptomatic high-grade partial or full-thickness supraspinatus tendon tears were included. Individuals participated in a structured, individualised 12-week exercise therapy programme and underwent ultrasound to measure tear size at baseline and 12 months following therapy. Computed tomography images were segmented to create three-dimensional subject-specific bone models and reviewed by three trained clinicians to measure CSA and to determine acromion morphology based on the Bigliani classification. A binary logistic regression was performed to determine the predictive value of CSA and acromion morphology on tear propagation., Results: The CSA was 30.0 ± 5.4°. Thirty-one individuals (52.5%) had type II acromial morphology, followed by type III and type I morphologies (25.4% and 22.0%, respectively); 81.4% experienced no change in tear size, four (6.8%) individuals experienced tear propagation and seven (11.9%) individuals had a negative change in tear size. No significant difference in tear propagation rates based on CSA or acromion morphology (not significant [NS]) was observed. The model predicted tear size status in 81.4% of cases but only predicted tear propagation 8.3% of the time. Overall, CSA and acromion morphology only predicted 24.3% ( R 2  = 0.243) of variance in tear propagation (NS)., Conclusions: CSA and acromion morphology were NS predictors of tear propagation of the supraspinatus tendon 12 months following an individualised exercise therapy programme., Level of Evidence: II., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (© 2024 The Author(s). Journal of Experimental Orthopaedics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery and Arthroscopy.)

Background: Reaching behind the back is painful for individuals with rotator cuff tears. The objectives of the study were to determine changes in glenohumeral kinematics when reaching behind the back, passive range of motion (RoM), patient reported outcomes and the relationships between kinematics and patient reported outcomes following exercise therapy., Methods: Eighty-four individuals with symptomatic isolated supraspinatus tears were recruited for this prospective observational study. Glenohumeral kinematics were measured using biplane radiography during a reaching behind the back movement. Passive glenohumeral internal rotation and patient reported outcome measures were collected. Depending on data normality, appropriate tests were utilized to determine changes in variables. Spearman's correlations were utilized for associations, and Stuart-Maxwell tests for changes in distributions., Findings: Maximum active glenohumeral internal rotation increased by 3.2° (P = 0.001), contact path length decreased by 5.5% glenoid size (P = 0.022), passive glenohumeral internal rotation RoM increased by 4.9° (P = 0.001), and Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores increased by 29.8 and 21.1 (P = 0.001), respectively. Changes in Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index scores positively associated with changes in maximum active glenohumeral internal rotation and negatively associated with changes in contact path lengths (P = 0.008 and P = 0.006, respectively)., Interpretation: The reaching behind the back movement was useful in elucidating in-vivo mechanistic changes associated with patient reported outcomes. Glenohumeral joint function and patient reported outcomes improved, where changes in Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index scores were associated with kinematics. These findings inform clinicians of functional changes following exercise therapy and new targetable treatment factors., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None, (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The glenoid track concept for shoulder instability primarily describes the medial-lateral relationship between a Hill-Sachs lesion and the glenoid. However, the Hill-Sachs position in the craniocaudal dimension has not been thoroughly studied., Hypothesis: Hill-Sachs lesions with greater inferior extension are associated with increased risk of recurrent instability after primary arthroscopic Bankart repair., Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3., Methods: The authors performed a retrospective analysis of patients with on-track Hill-Sachs lesions who underwent primary arthroscopic Bankart repair (without remplissage) between 2007 and 2019 and had a minimum 2-year follow-up. Recurrent instability was defined as recurrent dislocation or subluxation after the index procedure. The craniocaudal position of the Hill-Sachs lesion was measured against the midhumeral axis on sagittal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using either a Hill-Sachs bisecting line through the humeral head center (sagittal midpoint angle [SMA], a measure of Hill-Sachs craniocaudal position) or a line tangent to the inferior Hill-Sachs edge (lower-edge angle [LEA], a measure of Hill-Sachs caudal extension). Univariate and multivariate regression were used to determine the predictive value of both SMA and LEA for recurrent instability., Results: In total, 176 patients were included with a mean age of 20.6 years, mean follow-up of 5.9 years, and contact sport participation of 69.3%. Of these patients, 42 (23.9%) experienced recurrent instability (30 dislocations, 12 subluxations) at a mean time of 1.7 years after surgery. Recurrent instability was found to be significantly associated with LEA >90° (ie, Hill-Sachs lesions extending below the humeral head equator), with an OR of 3.29 ( P = .022). SMA predicted recurrent instability to a lesser degree (OR, 2.22; P = .052). Post hoc evaluation demonstrated that LEA >90° predicted recurrent dislocations (subset of recurrent instability) with an OR of 4.80 ( P = .003). LEA and SMA were found to be collinear with Hill-Sachs interval and distance to dislocation, suggesting that greater LEA and SMA proportionally reflect lesion severity in both the craniocaudal and medial-lateral dimensions., Conclusion: Inferior extension of an otherwise on-track Hill-Sachs lesion is a highly predictive risk factor for recurrent instability after primary arthroscopic Bankart repair. Evaluation of Hill-Sachs extension below the humeral equator (inferior equatorial extension) on sagittal MRI is a clinically facile screening tool for higher-risk lesions with subcritical glenoid bone loss. This threshold for critical humeral bone loss may inform surgical stratification for procedures such as remplissage or other approaches for at-risk on-track lesions., Competing Interests: One or more of the authors has declared the following potential conflict of interest or source of funding: T.C. has received a grant from Arthrex and support for education from Mid-Atlantic Surgical Systems. M.F. has received support for education from Mid-Atlantic Surgical Systems. A.B. has received support for education from CGG Medical, Mid-Atlantic Surgical Systems, Smith + Nephew, Fortis Surgical, Supreme Orthopedic Systems, and Arthrex; grants from Encore Medical and Arthrex; and hospitality payments from Stryker. B.L. has received support for education from Mid-Atlantic Surgical Systems. M.R. has received support for education from Mid-Atlantic Surgical Systems. A.L. has received consulting fees from Arthrex, Tornier, Stryker, and Wright Medical Technology; and support for education from Mid-Atlantic Surgical Systems. AOSSM checks author disclosures against the Open Payments Database (OPD). AOSSM has not conducted an independent investigation on the OPD and disclaims any liability or responsibility relating thereto.

Exercise therapy for individuals with rotator cuff tears fails in approximately 25.0 % of cases. One reason for failure of exercise therapy may be the inability to strengthen and balance the muscle forces crossing the glenohumeral joint that act to center the humeral head on the glenoid. The objective of the current study was to compare the magnitude and orientation of the net muscle force pre- and post-exercise therapy between subjects successfully and unsuccessfully (e.g. eventually underwent surgery) treated with a 12-week individualized exercise therapy program. Twelve computational musculoskeletal models (n = 6 successful, n = 6 unsuccessful) were developed in OpenSim (v4.0) that incorporated subject specific tear characteristics, muscle peak isometric force, in-vivo kinematics and bony morphology. The models were driven with experimental kinematics and the magnitude and orientation of the net muscle force was determined during scapular plane abduction at pre- and post-exercise therapy timepoints. Subjects unsuccessfully treated had less inferiorly oriented net muscle forces pre- and post-exercise therapy compared to subjects successfully treated (p = 0.039 & 0.045, respectively). No differences were observed in the magnitude of the net muscle force (p > 0.05). The current study developed novel computational musculoskeletal models with subject specific inputs capable of distinguishing between subjects successfully and unsuccessfully treated with exercise therapy. A less inferiorly oriented net muscle force in subjects unsuccessfully treated may increase the risk of superior migration leading to impingement. Adjustments to exercise therapy programs may be warranted to avoid surgery in subjects at risk of unsuccessful treatment., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: In the presence of an isolated supraspinatus tear, the force applied to the greater tuberosity is reduced, which may lead to bony morphologic changes. Thus, diagnostic or surgical identification of landmarks to properly repair the torn tendon might be difficult if the anatomy of the greater tuberosity is altered. The objectives of the study were to assess the presence of the superior, middle, and inferior facets of the greater tuberosity in individuals with symptomatic isolated supraspinatus tendon tears and the associations between tear size, tear location and presence of each facet., Methods: Thirty-seven individuals with symptomatic isolated supraspinatus tendon tears were recruited to participate in the study. Individuals underwent a high-resolution computed tomography scan of the involved shoulder and images were segmented to generate subject specific models of each humerus. The vertices comprising each facet were identified; however, if even a single vertex comprising the facet was missing, the facet was considered altered. Percentage agreement for correctly identifying the presence of each facet was determined using 2 additional observers and 5 randomly selected humeri. Ultrasonography was performed to assess anterior-posterior (AP) tear size and tear location. Outcome parameters included presence of the superior, middle, and inferior facets; AP tear size; and tear location. Point-biserial correlations were used to determine the associations between AP tear size, tear location, and presence of the superior, middle, and inferior facets., Results: Supraspinatus tear size and tear location was 13.1 ± 6.1 mm (range, 1.9-28.3 mm) and 2.0 ± 4.4 mm from the posterior edge of the long head of the biceps tendon (range, 0.0-19.0 mm), respectively. Overall, the superior, middle, and inferior facets were not altered in 24.3%, 29.7%, and 45.9% of individuals, respectively. Percentage agreement between observers was 83.4% on average. No associations were found between tear size or tear location and presence of the superior, middle, or inferior facet (P values ranged from .19 to .74)., Conclusion: Individuals with symptomatic isolated supraspinatus tears experience significant alterations in the bony morphology of the greater tuberosity that were irrespective of supraspinatus tear size and location. This information is useful for radiologists and orthopedic surgeons as the altered anatomy may influence the ability to identify important anatomic landmarks during diagnostic imaging or surgical procedures., (Copyright © 2023 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Quantitative pivot shift (QPS) testing using PIVOT technology can detect high- and low-grade rotatory knee instability following anterior cruciate ligament injury or reconstruction (ACLR). The aim of this project was to determine if preoperative QPS correlates with postoperative knee kinematics in the operative and contralateral, healthy extremity following ACLR with or without lateral extraarticular tenodesis (LET) using a highly precise in vivo analysis system. A positive correlation between preoperative QPS and postoperative tibial translation and rotation following ACLR with or without LET in the operative and healthy, contralateral extremity was hypothesized., Methods: Twenty patients with ACL injury and high-grade rotatory knee instability were randomized to undergo anatomic ACLR with or without LET as part of a prospective randomized trial. At 6 and 12 months postoperatively, in vivo kinematic data were collected using dynamic biplanar radiography superimposed with high-resolution computed tomography scans of patients' knees during downhill running. Total anterior-posterior (AP) tibial translation and internal-external tibial rotation were measured during the gait cycle. Spearman's rho was calculated for preoperative QPS and postoperative kinematics., Results: In the contralateral, healthy extremity, a significant positive correlation was seen between preoperative QPS and total AP tibial translation at 12 months postoperatively (r s  = 0.6, p < 0.05). There were no additional significant correlations observed between preoperative QPS and postoperative knee kinematics at 6 and 12 months postoperatively in the operative and contralateral, healthy extremity for combined isolated ACLR and ACLR with LET patients as well as isolated ACLR patients or ACLR with LET patients analyzed separately., Discussion: The main finding of this study was that there was a significant positive correlation between preoperative QPS and total AP tibial translation at 12 months postoperatively in the contralateral, healthy extremity. There were no significant correlations between preoperative QPS and postoperative in vivo kinematics at 6 and 12 months following ACLR with or without LET. This suggests that QPS as measured with PIVOT technology does correlate with healthy in vivo knee kinematics, but QPS does not correlate with in vivo kinematics following ACLR with or without LET., (© 2022. The Author(s) under exclusive licence to European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery, Arthroscopy (ESSKA).)

Background: Multiple rehabilitation protocols after shoulder surgery have been proposed. The coronavirus pandemic adds an extra layer of complexity to postoperative rehabilitation after shoulder surgery., Hypothesis: The combined use of a home-based rehabilitation system, the Shoulder Strengthening and Stabilization System (SSS), and telehealth visits will lead to acceptable patient self-reported outcomes and satisfaction after shoulder surgery., Study Design: Prospective observational cohort., Level of Evidence: Level 4., Methods: A total of 132 patients were prescribed SSS after shoulder surgery. A virtual clinical specialist monitored patients through telehealth visits as prescribed by the treating physician. Data were collected prospectively during each telehealth visit. Patients completed an exit survey during their last telehealth visit., Results: The use of SSS with telehealth revealed a positive impact on postoperative shoulder rehabilitation (96%), pain (71%), and stiffness (92%) as reported by patients. Both pain scores and pain medication use decreased from the 1st to 8th postoperative telehealth session ( P < 0.01). Nearly all (93%) patients recommended SSS after shoulder surgery upon completing the SSS protocol., Conclusion: Postoperative management of shoulder surgery with SSS combined with telehealth results in a reduction in patient pain levels in the early postoperative period. Patients reported high levels of improvement with SSS in shoulder rehabilitation, pain, and stiffness. The overwhelming majority (93%) of patients recommended SSS for postoperative shoulder rehabilitation and SSS yielded high patient satisfaction scores. Elucidating the impact of SSS on clinical outcomes and function in comparison with traditional rehabilitation protocols is warranted., Clinical Relevance: SSS in combination with telehealth was tolerated well by patients and may represent an alternative or adjunct to traditional rehabilitation protocols.

Background: Injuries to the anterolateral complex (ALC) may contribute to increased rotatory knee laxity. However, it has not been evaluated whether such injuries affect in vivo kinematics when treated in situ. The purpose of this study was to determine the grade of ALC injury and its effect on kinematic and clinical outcomes of ACL-injured patients 24 months after anatomic ACL reconstruction. It was hypothesized that injury to the ALC would be significantly related to patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and in vivo knee kinematics during downhill running., Methods: Thirty-five subjects (mean age: 22.8 ± 8.5 years) participating in a randomized clinical trial to compare single- and double-bundle ACL reconstruction were included in the study. Subjects were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of injury to the ALC, as determined on MRI scans performed within 6 weeks of injury. None of the patients underwent treatment for these ALC injuries. At 24 months, PROs, including the International Knee Documentation Committee Subjective Knee Form (IKDC-SKF), Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS) and in vivo knee kinematics during downhill running, were obtained. Pivot-shift test results, PROs and in vivo knee kinematics were compared between groups with and without ALC injury using the Pearson's Chi Squared test and Mann-Whitney U test with significance set at p < 0.05., Results: The average interval between injury and performing the MRI scans was 9.5 ± 10 days. ALC injury was observed in 17 (49%) study participants. No significant differences were detected in PROs and in vivo kinematics between subjects with and without ALC injury (n.s.)., Conclusion: The findings of this study demonstrate that MRI evidence of an ALC injury does not significantly affect in vivo knee kinematics and PROs even in individuals with a high-grade ALC injury. Injuries to the ALC as observed on MRI might not be a useful indication for an anterolateral procedure.

Background: Clinical failure associated with nonoperative treatment of rotator cuff tears may be due to inadequate characterization of the individual's functional impairments. Clinically, restricted passive range of motion (ROM) (restrictions imply capsular tightness), limitations in muscle strength, and larger rotator cuff tears are hypothesized to be related to altered glenohumeral kinematics. Understanding these relationships, as well as the relationship between glenohumeral kinematics and patient-reported outcomes (PROs) prior to exercise therapy, may help characterize functional impairments in individuals with rotator cuff tears. The objectives of the study were to describe the baseline presentation of individuals with an isolated supraspinatus tear, including passive ROM, rotator cuff muscle strength, tear size, PROs, and glenohumeral kinematics, and to determine associations among these variables., Methods: One hundred one individuals with symptomatic isolated supraspinatus tears were recruited for the study and underwent assessments of passive glenohumeral ROM, isometric muscle strength, and ultrasonography to assess anterior-posterior tear size. Glenohumeral kinematics during scapular-plane abduction were measured using biplane radiography. Furthermore, PROs including the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score and the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index (WORC) score were collected., Results: Individuals presented with decreased ROM, external rotation weakness compared with the uninvolved side, and pain and disability as measured by the ASES and WORC scores. These findings were not associated with glenohumeral kinematics, with the exception of a weak positive association between glenohumeral contact path lengths and WORC scores (ρ = 0.25, P = .03). Tear size was 11.7 ± 5.7 mm, and maximum anterior translation, superior translation, and contact path length were 3.0% ± 3.8% of glenoid width, 3.5% ± 3.8% of glenoid height, and 38.2% ± 20.7% of glenoid size, respectively., Conclusion: Individuals with a symptomatic isolated supraspinatus tear presented with decreased ROM, external rotation weakness, and pain and disability as measured by the ASES and WORC scores. However, no abnormal kinematics associated with these limitations were observed. Thus, given that the tear is isolated to the supraspinatus tendon and no capsular restrictions are present, normal function of the glenohumeral joint may be possible during scapular-plane abduction., (Copyright © 2022 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: To determine if anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction (ACLR) with lateral extraarticular tenodesis (LET) is beneficial for restoring knee kinematics with concomitant meniscal pathology causing rotatory knee instability., Methods: Twenty patients with an ACL tear were randomized to either isolated ACLR or ACLR with LET. Patients were divided into four groups based on the surgery performed and the presence of meniscal tear (MT): ACLR without MT, ACLR with MT, ACLR with LET without MT, and ACLR with LET with MT. Kinematic data normalized to the contralateral, healthy knee were collected using dynamic biplanar radiography superimposed with high-resolution computed tomography scans of patients' knees during downhill running. Anterior tibial translation (ATT) and tibial rotation (TR) as well as patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were analyzed at 6- and 12-months postoperatively., Results: At 6 months, ACLR with LET resulted in significantly decreased ATT at heel strike compared to ACLR (ACLR without MT: 0.3 ± 0.8 mm and ACLR with MT: 1.4 ± 3.1 mm vs. ACLR with LET without MT: - 2.5 ± 3.4 mm and ACLR with LET with MT: - 1.5 ± 1.2 mm ATT, p = 0.02). At 6 months, at toe off ACLR with LET better restored ATT to that of the contralateral, healthy knee in patients with meniscal pathology, while in patients without meniscal pathology, ACLR with LET resulted in significantly decreased ATT (1.0 ± 2.6 mm ATT vs. - 2.6 ± 1.7 mm ATT, p = 0.04). There were no significant differences in kinematics or PROMs between groups at 12 months., Conclusion: For combined ACL and meniscus injury, ACLR with LET restores native knee kinematics at toe off but excessively decreases ATT at heel strike in the early post-operative period (6 months) without altering knee kinematics in the long term. Future large-scale clinical studies are needed to better understand the function of LET and ultimately improve patient outcomes., Level of Evidence: III., (© 2021. European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery, Arthroscopy (ESSKA).)

Purpose: To determine factors that predict return to the same frequency and type of sports participation with similar activity demands as before injury., Methods: Individuals 1 to 5 years after primary ACL reconstruction completed a comprehensive survey related to sports participation and activity before injury and after surgery. Patient characteristics, injury variables, and surgical variables were extracted from the medical record. Return to preinjury sports (RTPS) was defined as: "Returning to the same or more demanding type of sports participation, at the same or greater frequency with the same or better Marx Activity Score as before injury." Variables were compared between individuals that achieved comprehensive RTPS and those that did not with univariate and multivariate logistic regression models., Results: Two-hundred and fifty-one patients (mean age 26.1 years, SD 9.9) completed the survey at an average of 3.4 years (SD 1.3) after ACL reconstruction. The overall rate of RTPS was 48.6%. Patients were more likely to RTPS if they were younger than 19 years old (OR = 4.07; 95%CI 2.21-7.50; p < 0.01) or if they were competitive athletes (OR = 2.07; 95%CI 1.24-3.46; p = 0.01). Patients were less likely to RTPS if surgery occurred more than 3 months after injury (OR = 0.31, 95%CI 0.17-0.58; p < 0.01), if there was a concomitant cartilage lesion (OR = 0.38; 95%CI 0.21-0.70; p < 0.01), and if cartilage surgery was performed (OR = 0.17; 95%CI 0.04-0.80; p = 0.02)., Conclusion: Five variables best predicted RTPS including age at time of surgery. Only time from injury to surgery is a potentially modifiable factor to improve RTPS; however, the reasons for which patients delayed surgery may also contribute to them not returning to sports. Regardless, younger patients, those that partake in sports on a competitive level, those that undergo surgery sooner, or do not have a cartilage injury or require cartilage surgery are more likely to return to pre-injury sports participation., Level of Evidence: III., (© 2021. European Society of Sports Traumatology, Knee Surgery, Arthroscopy (ESSKA).)

Background: A viable treatment option for young patients with massive, irreparable rotator cuff tears is arthroscopic superior capsule reconstruction (SCR). SCR theoretically improves shoulder stability and function and decreases pain. However, no prospective studies to date have correlated magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) healing with in vivo kinematic data. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between graft healing and in vivo kinematics, range of motion (ROM), strength, and patient-reported outcomes (PROs)., Methods: Ten patients (8 men and 2 women; mean age, 63 ± 7 years) with irreparable rotator cuff tears underwent arthroscopic SCR with dermal allograft. Strength was measured with isometric internal rotation and external rotation (ER) at 0° of abduction, ER at 90° of abduction, and scapular-plane abduction, whereas ROM was measured during shoulder flexion, abduction, and ER and internal rotation at 90° of abduction both before and 1 year after SCR. PROs included American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index, and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand surveys that were collected before and 1 year after SCR. Synchronized biplane radiographs were collected at 50 images/s before and 1 year after SCR while patients performed 3 trials of scapular-plane abduction. A validated volumetric tracking technique with submillimeter accuracy determined 6-df glenohumeral and scapular kinematics. The acromiohumeral distance (AHD), humeral head translation, and scapulohumeral rhythm (SHR) were calculated from the in vivo kinematics. Healing at 5 locations was evaluated on 1-year postoperative MRI scans: anterior and posterior glenoid, anterior and posterior humerus, and posteriorly along the infraspinatus. Each subject was given a score from 0 to 5 based on number of sites healed., Results: Of the 10 patients, 9 (90%) had complete (n = 4) or partial (n = 5) healing of the graft whereas 1 (10%) had complete failure at the glenoid. No correlation existed between MRI healing and the AHD, SHR, strength, ROM, or PROs. American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index, and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand scores all significantly improved from before to 1 year after SCR regardless of graft healing., Conclusions: The rate of complete or partial graft healing on MRI mimics findings of prior reports in the literature. MRI healing was correlated with humeral head anterior-posterior translation but not with the static and dynamic AHDs, SHR, humeral head superior-inferior translation, ROM, strength, or PROs 1 year after SCR. All PROs improved significantly from before to 1 year after SCR regardless of graft status on MRI. In vivo kinematic changes were small after SCR and not clinically significant, and the data suggest that improvements in clinical and functional outcomes may occur in the absence of full graft healing., (Copyright © 2021 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: High-grade partial thickness rotator cuff tears (i.e., those involving at least 50% of the tendon thickness) are especially challenging to treat and various treatment strategies have been described. Prior studies have demonstrated equivalent outcomes between in situ tear fixation and tear completion repair techniques. However, it is unknown how repair of completed high-grade partial thickness tears to full tears compares to repair of full-thickness tears. The purpose of this study was to compare clinical outcome measures at least 1 year postoperatively between patients who had completion of a high-grade partial thickness supraspinatus tear to a full-thickness tear (PT) and those who had an isolated full-thickness supraspinatus tear (FT). The hypothesis of this study was equivalent retear rates as well as equivalent clinical and patient-reported outcomes between the two groups., Methods: A retrospective review of 100 patients who underwent isolated arthroscopic supraspinatus repair between 2013 and 2018 with a minimum of 1 year follow-up was performed. Patients were separated into two groups based on their treatment: 56 had completion of a partial thickness supraspinatus tear to full-thickness tear with repair (PT) and 44 had isolated full-thickness supraspinatus repairs (FT). The primary outcome was rotator cuff retear, which was defined as a supraspinatus retear requiring revision repair. Secondary outcomes were patient-reported outcome measures (PROs) including visual analog pain scale (VAS) and subjective shoulder value (SSV), range of motion (ROM) and strength in forward flexion (FF), external rotation (ER), and internal rotation (IR)., Results: There was a significantly lower rate of retear between the PT versus FT groups (3.6% vs. 16.3%, p = 0.040). There were no significant differences between groups for all PROs, all ROM parameters, and all strength parameters (all n.s.)., Discussion: The data from this study demonstrated that the PT group had a significantly lower retear rate at 1 year follow-up than the FT group, while PROs, ROM, and strength were similar between the two groups. Patients with PT supraspinatus tears can have excellent outcomes, equivalent to FT tears, after completion of the tear, and subsequent repair with low retear rates. These findings may aid the treating surgeon when choosing between in situ fixation of the PT supraspinatus tear or completion of the tear and subsequent repair, as it allows the treating surgeon to choose the procedure based on comfort and experience level., Level of Evidence: Level III.

Rehabilitation has been shown to improve functional outcomes following total knee replacement (TKR). However, its delivery and associated costs are highly variable. The authors have developed and previously validated the accuracy of a remote (wearable) rehabilitation monitoring platform ( interACTION ). The present study's objective was to assess the feasibility of utilizing interACTION for the remote management of rehabilitation after TKR and to determine a preliminary estimate of the effects of the interACTION system on the value of rehabilitation. Specifically, we tested post-operative outpatient rehabilitation supplemented with interACTION (n = 13) by comparing it to a standard post-operative outpatient rehabilitation program (n = 12) using a randomized design. Attrition rates were relatively low and not significantly different between groups, indicating that participants found both interventions acceptable. A small (not statistically significant) decrease in the number of physical therapy visits was observed in the interACTION Group, therefore no significant difference in total cost could be observed. All patients and physical therapists in the interACTION Group indicated that they would use the system again in the future. Therefore, the next steps are to address the concerns identified in this pilot study and to expand the platform to include behavioral change strategies prior to conducting a full-scale randomized controlled trial. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02646761 " interACTION : A Portable Joint Function Monitoring and Training System for Remote Rehabilitation Following TKA" 6 January 2016.

Introduction: Shoulder arthroscopies are among the most frequently performed surgeries by orthopaedic surgeons. Little is known about complication rates among recently trained surgeons. The purpose of this study was to examine the type and frequency of complications of common arthroscopic shoulder procedures performed by candidates challenging the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery: Part II, certification examination., Methods: Data were obtained from the American Board of Orthopaedic Surgery database for orthopaedic surgeons who sat for the part II examination from 2012 to 2016. In total, 27,072 procedures were reviewed. The database was queried to determine the type and frequency of complications for patients who underwent shoulder arthroscopy, including arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, labrum repair, biceps tenodesis, and bony/soft tissue débridement procedures. Complications were classified as surgical, anesthetic, or medical. Factors affecting complication rates were investigated including surgeon's fellowship training, geographic location, and patients' age and sex., Results: Patients with surgical complications (n = 2,133; 7.9%) were more common than anesthetic (n = 263; 1.0%) or medical (n = 607; 2.2%) complications. There was a significant variation in the surgical complication rate among different arthroscopic shoulder procedures, ranging from 5.4% for labral repair to 10.3% for rotator cuff repair and biceps tenodesis. Stiffness/arthrofibrosis was the most commonly recorded surgical complication (2.2%). Surgical complication rates were lowest in the Northeast region (6.7%; P < 0.01) and in patients younger than 21 years (3.8%; P < 0.01). Women had significantly higher rate of complications than men (8.4% versus 7.6%; P = 0.02). Among anesthetic-related complications, 61.6% were related to regional nerve blocks. The overall revision surgery and readmission rates were 0.8% and 1.0%, respectively., Conclusion: The overall self-reported surgical complication rate for arthroscopic shoulder procedures was 7.9%, which is higher than the rates reported in the literature. Although the rate of anesthetic complications is low (1.0%), adverse events related to nerve blocks made up most of the overall anesthetic related complications.

Purpose: Youth baseball frequently results in repetitive strain injuries. Quantitative ultrasound allows real-time imaging with the ability to identify acute markers of tendon change. The study objective was to determine acute quantitative ultrasound changes in the long head of the biceps and infraspinatus tendons of the throwing and nonthrowing shoulders during a pitching performance. We hypothesized the tendons of the pitching arm would exhibit an increased width and decreased echogenicity after pitching and that tendons of the nonpitching arm would not demonstrate such changes., Methods: Fifty youth baseball players, ages 9-14 yr, engaged in a simulated pitching performance that consisted of 50 pitches. Subjects underwent serial quantitative ultrasound imaging of the infraspinatus and the long head of the biceps before pitching and after 25 and 50 pitches were thrown., Results: Testing of the change in tendon width revealed the infraspinatus (0.21 mm) and long head of the biceps tendons (0.18 mm) in the throwing shoulder had statistically significant increases (P = 0.03) in tendon width as an acute response to throwing 50 pitches, without such changes in the nonthrowing shoulder (P > 0.05). No tendon width change was found at 25 pitches in either arm or tendon (P > 0.05). No associated changes in echogenicity were found at any time point (P > 0.05)., Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that pitching acutely increases tendon width in two biomechanically important tendons of the shoulder as early as the 50 pitch mark. This change could be a normal physiological response or a potential warning sign of future pathology and requires further study.