Functional outcomes assessment in shoulder surgery

Evaluation of clinical and radiographic outcomes after total shoulder arthroplasty with inset Trabecular Metal-backed glenoid

BACKGROUND

Trabecular Metal (TM)-backed glenoid implants were introduced for their theoretical ability to increase osseointegration while minimizing wear and the risk of loosening in total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). Initial follow-up studies of TM-backed glenoids demonstrated high rates of metallic debris formation around the implant site, raising concerns about longevity. More recent data suggest that metallic debris formation may be less prevalent than previously reported and that the implants may have positive long-term outcomes regardless of debris. The goal of our study was to assess the clinical and radiographic outcomes at mid-term follow-up of TSA using a TM-backed glenoid implant placed with full backside support using an inset technique. We hypothesized that our clinical and radiographic outcomes would be good using this technique.

METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 39 patients who underwent 41 TSA procedures with a Zimmer Biomet TM-backed glenoid component performed by a single surgeon between January 2010 and March 2016. After exclusions for death unrelated to surgery and loss to follow-up, 35 patients (37 shoulders) with minimum 2-year clinical follow-up were included in the study. The glenoids were all placed in an inset fashion with full backside support. Clinical, patient-reported, and radiographic outcomes were analyzed.

RESULTS

The average follow-up period was 7.2 years (range, 2-11 years). At final follow-up, average shoulder elevation was 153° ± 22° and average external rotation was 53° ± 12°. The average American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score was 86.8 ± 19.0, and the average visual analog scale score was 1.3 ± 2.4. Metallic debris was found in 9 shoulders (27%), and radiolucency was observed around the glenoid components in 13 shoulders (39%) on the final postoperative radiographs. Metallic debris and radiolucency findings were low in severity, with average grades of 0.32 (standard deviation, 0.54) and 0.39 (standard deviation, 0.50), respectively. There were no reoperations.

CONCLUSION

This study of 37 shoulders undergoing TSA with a TM-backed glenoid demonstrated 100% implant survivorship at an average follow-up of 7 years. Clinical outcomes were excellent despite the occurrence of some metallic debris formation. The findings suggest that a TM-backed glenoid component implanted in an inset fashion to achieve full backside support can provide good clinical and patient-reported outcomes in TSA patients at mid-term follow-up and suggest that continued consideration of the role of TM-backed glenoids and the optimal technique for implantation may be warranted.

Superior Capsular Reconstruction: A Salvage Option for Massive Irreparable Rotator Cuff Tears with Pseudoparalysis or Subscapularis Insufficiency

PURPOSE

We sought to examine superior capsular reconstruction (SCR) outcomes after minimum 2-year follow-up and determine risk factors that were predictive of outcomes.

METHODS

Forty consecutive patients (mean age 57.3 years, 87.5% male) who underwent SCR for massive irreparable rotator cuff tears (RCT) met the inclusion criteria. Minimum 2-year follow-up was obtained for 32 patients (80% follow-up). Patient demographics and preoperative clinical findings were collected. Postoperative data, including complications, patient satisfaction, strength and range-of-motion (ROM), and patient-reported outcomes were collected.

RESULTS

The Hamada score was ≤2 in 88% with average acromiohumeral interval distance of 6.8 mm. Preoperatively, 6 patients had external rotation lag (19%) and 6 had pseudoparalysis (19%). Intraoperative assessment of the subscapularis demonstrated true insufficiency in 38%. There was significant improvement in forward elevation (FE) (31° increase; P = .007) and strength in all planes (all P < .05). Patient-reported outcomes significantly improved (American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon [ASES] 34-point increase; visual analog scale [VAS] 2.9-point decrease; single alpha-numeric evaluation [SANE] 48-point increase; all P < .05). Twenty-six patients (81%) were completely or somewhat satisfied with surgery. At time of final follow-up, 3/32 patients (9%) failed SCR and converted to reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. There were 4 (13%) reported complications (2 patients had postoperative falls; 1 patient had persistent severe pain; 1 had persistent stiffness). One patient was deceased. Patients with pseudoparalysis (n = 6) had significant improvement in post-operative FE (28 vs 154°; P < .0001) and SANE score (P = .016) with 66% patient satisfaction. However, outcome scores overall remained lower than SCR without pseudoparalysis. Regarding subscapularis insufficiency (n = 12), significant improvement was seen in postoperative FE (108 vs 158°; P = .019) and patient-reported outcome scores (P < .005). In patients converted from SCR to reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (n = 3), there were no distinguishing characteristics present.

CONCLUSION

Superior capsular reconstruction is an effective salvage operation for massive irreparable RCT. Patients with pseudoparalysis or subscapularis insufficiency demonstrate significant postoperative improvement in FE and patient-reported outcomes.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

IV, retrospective cohort.

Improved Outcomes Following Arthroscopic Superior Capsular Reconstruction May Not Be Associated With Changes in Shoulder Kinematics: An In Vivo Study

PURPOSE

To determine the in vivo effects of superior capsule reconstruction (SCR) on glenohumeral kinematics during abduction and to compare those kinematics results with patient-reported outcomes, range of motion, and strength.

METHODS

Dynamic biplane radiography was used to image 10 patients with irreparable rotator cuff tears while performing scapular plane abduction pre- and 1-year post-surgery. Shoulder kinematics were determined by matching subject-specific computed tomography-based bone models to the radiographs using a validated tracking technique.

RESULTS

No change was detected in static acromiohumeral distance (-0.7 ± 2.1 mm; P = .35); however, average dynamic acromiohumeral distance decreased (2.7 ± 1.2 mm to 2.3 ± 1.0 mm; P = .035) from pre- to 1-year post-surgery, respectively. The humeral head position was 0.5 ± 0.5 mm more superior 1-year post-surgery compared with pre-surgery (P = .01). Glenohumeral abduction increased from pre-surgery (150 ± 20°) to 1-year post-surgery (165 ± 10°) (P = .04) and all patient-reported outcomes improved from pre-surgery to 1-year post-surgery (all P < .002). A more posterior shift in humeral head position was associated with improved American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Shoulder Score from pre-surgery to 1-year post-surgery (r = 0.71, P = .02).

CONCLUSIONS

These data suggest that SCR may not depress the humeral head during functional abduction, as previously postulated, and postoperative improvements in subjective and clinical outcomes may be affected by mechanisms other than changes in shoulder kinematics.

CLINICAL RELEVANCE

In vivo kinematics changes after SCR are small and do not correspond to previously postulated changes.

A bio-inductive collagen scaffold that supports human primary tendon-derived cell growth for rotator cuff repair

Background

Rotator Cuff (RC) tendon tearing is a common clinical problem and there is a high incidence of revision surgery due to re-tearing. In an effort to improve patient outcome and reduce surgical revision, scaffolds have been widely used for augmentation of RC repairs. However, little is known about how scaffolds support tendon stem cell growth or facilitate tendon regeneration. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the structural and biological properties of a bioactive collagen scaffold (BCS) with the potential to promote tendon repair. Additionally, we conducted a pilot clinical study to assess the safety and feasibility of using the BCS for repair of RC tears.

Methods

A series of physical, ultrastructural, molecular and in vitro tests determined the biocompatibility and teno-inductive properties of this BCS. In addition, a prospective case study of 18 patients with RC tendon tears (>20 ​mm in diameter) was performed in an open-label, single-arm study, involving either mini-open or arthroscopic surgical RC repair with the BCS. Clinical assessment of RC repair status was undertaken by MRI-imaging at baseline, 6 and 12 months and patient evaluated questionnaires were taken at baseline as well as 3, 6 & 12 months.

Results

The BCS consists of highly purified type-I collagen, in bundles of varying diameter, arranged in a higher order tri-laminar structure. BCS have minimal immunogenicity, being cell and essentially DNA-free as well as uniformly negative for the porcine α-Gal protein. BCS seeded with human primary tendon-derived cells and exposed to 6% uniaxial loading conditions in vitro, supported increased levels of growth and proliferation as well as up-regulating expression of tenocyte differentiation marker genes including TNMD, Ten-C, Mohawk and Collagen-1α1. To test the safety and feasibility of using the BCS for augmentation of RC repairs, we followed the IDEAL framework and conducted a first, open-label single arm prospective case series study of 18 patients. One patient was withdrawn from the study at 3 months due to wound infection unrelated to the BCS. The remaining 17 cases showed that the BCS is safe to be implanted. The patients reported encouraging improvements in functional outcomes (ASES, OSS and Constant-Murley scores), as well as quality of life assessments (AQoL) and a reduction in VAS pain scores. MRI assessment at 12 months revealed complete healing in 64.8% patients (11/17), 3 partial thickness re-tears (17.6%) and 3 full thickness re-tears (17.6%).

Conclusion

The BCS is composed of type-I collagen that is free of immunogenic proteins and supports tendon-derived cell growth under mechanical loading in vitro. This pilot study shows that it is safe and feasible to use BCS for RC argumentation and further controlled prospective studies are required to demonstrate its efficacy.

The Translational potential of this article

The results of this study indicate that this bioactive collagen scaffold has unique properties for supporting tendon growth and that it is non-immunogenic. The clinical study further confirms that the scaffold is a promising biological device for augment of human rotator cuff repairs.

Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Test Is Less Responsive Than Legacy Hip-Specific Patient-Reported Outcome Measures in Patients Undergoing Arthroscopy for Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome

Purpose

To evaluate and compare the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Physical Function (PF) computerized adaptive test and PROMIS Pain Interference (PI) instruments versus legacy patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome at 1-year follow-up.

Methods

Patients undergoing primary hip arthroscopy for the treatment of femoroacetabular impingement syndrome without concomitant procedures performed by a single surgeon between August 2018 and January 2019 were identified. The PROMIS PF score, PROMIS PI score, Hip Outcome Score–Activities of Daily Living Subscale (HOS-ADL), Hip Outcome Score–Sports Subscale (HOS-SS), modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), International Hip Outcome Tool 12 (iHOT-12), and visual analog scale (VAS) pain score were obtained preoperatively and at 6 months and 1 year postoperatively. Bivariate correlation analyses between PROMIS and legacy PROMs were performed. The floor and ceiling effects, responsiveness, and relative efficiency (RE) of each PROM were calculated.

Results

This study included 124 patients with an average age of 32.7 ± 12.3 years. The PROMIS PF score showed very good correlations with the HOS-ADL (r = 0.73, P < .001) and mHHS (r = 0.70, P < .001) and good correlations with the HOS-SS (r = 0.62, P < .001), iHOT-12 score (r = 0.62, P < .001), and VAS pain score (r = –0.64, P < .001). The PROMIS PI score showed very good inverse correlations with the HOS-ADL (r = –0.72, P < .001) and mHHS (r = –0.79, P < .001) and good correlations with the HOS-SS (r = –0.64, P < .001), iHOT-12 score (r = –0.65, P < .001), and VAS pain score (r = 0.65, P < .001). No floor effect was observed for any measure. Ceiling effects were not observed in the PROMIS PROMs but were detected for the HOS-ADL (16.1%) and mHHS (19.3%). The effect size was large for all outcomes: iHOT-12 score, d = 1.77; HOS-ADL, d = 1.37; HOS-SS, d = 1.45; PROMIS PI score, d = 1.05; and PROMIS PF score, d = 1.01. The iHOT-12 score was more responsive than the PROMIS PI score (RE = 1.69), PROMIS PF score (RE = 1.75), HOS-ADL (RE = 1.29), and HOS-SS (RE = 1.22).

Conclusions

At 1-year follow-up, PROMIS PROMs displayed very good correlations with legacy PROMs. However, PROMIS PROMs had lower effect sizes and were not as responsive as legacy PROMs.

Level of Evidence

Level II, development of diagnostic criteria on the basis of consecutive patients.

Patients Require Less Time to Complete Preoperative Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Than Legacy Patient-Reported Outcome Measures

Purpose

To analyze time to completion of preoperative legacy patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and more recent computer adaptive Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) questionnaires in patients with symptomatic femoroacetabular impingement syndrome undergoing primary hip arthroscopy.

Methods

A retrospective analysis was conducted on patients undergoing hip arthroscopy by a single fellowship-trained hip arthroscopist. Inclusion criteria were patients undergoing primary arthroscopic hip surgery and completion of at least 1 legacy PRO or PROMIS questionnaire at the preoperative time point. Exclusion criteria were history of contralateral or ipsilateral hip surgery, non-English-speaking patients, patients who completed PROs by phone or by paper form, and patients who did not complete preoperative PROs. Legacy PROs included modified Harris Hip Score (mHHS), Hip Outcome Score (HOS), International Hip Outcome Tool (iHOT-12), and Hip Pain Visual Analog Scale (VAS-Pain). PROMIS PROs included Physical Function (PROMIS-PF), Pain Interference (PROMIS-PI), and Depression (PROMIS-D). Only preoperative PROs were included in the analysis. Completion time was calculated using the questionnaire start and stop time reported by the survey collecting software. The median and interquartile range of each PRO were reported for analysis of central tendency and statistical dispersion, respectively.

Results

A total of 1,901 patients and 269 patients were included in the legacy and PROMIS groups, respectively. The median time required for completion of each PRO in (minutes: seconds) format was as follows: mHHS (1:29), HOS (3:58), iHOT (2:11), VAS-Pain (0:32), PROMIS-PF (0:46), PROMIS-PI (0:37), and PROMIS-D (0:43). The interquartile range of the middle 50% of respondents was as follows; mHHS (0:58), HOS (2:46), iHOT (1:22), VAS-Pain (0:28), PROMIS-PI (0:19), PROMIS-D (0:29), and PROMIS-PF (0:20).

Conclusions

This study supports that preoperative PROMIS forms require less time to complete than preoperative legacy PROs and are not significantly influenced by age, race, or workers compensation status.

Level of Evidence

Level IV, case series.

Choosing patient-reported outcome measures for shoulder pathology

This study was designed to identify the most frequent shoulder patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) reported in high-quality literature.

A systematic review was performed to identify shoulder PROMs, and their diffusion within the scientific literature was tested with a subsequent dedicated search in MEDLINE.

506 studies were included in the final data analysis, for a total number of 36,553 patients.

The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire (DASH), the American Shoulder, Elbow Surgeons Score (ASES) and the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI) were the most frequently reported PROMs in the analysed publications, with disease-specific PROMs being used with increasing frequency.

A core set of outcome measures for future studies on patients with shoulder pathologies, based on the international acceptance and diffusion of each PROM, is needed.

A combination of the DASH score for shoulder outcome assessment with more specific PROMs, such as the ASES for rotator cuff pathology and osteoarthritis and the SPADI for shoulder stiffness and shoulder pain of unspecified origin, is proposed as a recommended set of PROMs.

Cite this article: EFORT Open Rev 2021;6:779-787. DOI: 10.1302/2058-5241.6.200109

Perioperative Intravenous Lidocaine Infusion on Postoperative Recovery in Patients Undergoing Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair Under General Anesthesia - A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE

Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) is known to cause severe postoperative pain which may interfere with recovery. Intravenous (IV) lidocaine has analgesic, anti-inflammatory, and anti-hyperalgesic effects, and is being used in various types of surgeries. However, the effect of IV lidocaine in ARCR is not well known.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Ninety patients undergoing ARCR were randomly allocated to receive IV lidocaine (1.5▒mg/kg bolus of 1% lidocaine after anesthesia induction followed by a continuous infusion of 2▒mg/kg/h up to 1▒h after surgery) or an equal volume of saline. In both groups, an IV patient-controlled analgesia (PCA) device was used which contained fentanyl 10▒µg/mL, infused at 1▒mL/h with a 1▒mL bolus dose. The primary outcome was fentanyl requirements given via IV PCA during the first 24 hours after surgery. Perioperative pain scores and functional recovery were assessed as secondary outcomes.

RESULTS

The amount of fentanyl administered via IV PCA up to 24 hours after surgery was significantly lower in the Lidocaine group compared to the Control group (329 [256.2-428.3] vs. 394.5 [287.0-473.0], P=0.037) The number of PCA bolus attempts were lower in the Lidocaine group without statistical significance. There were no differences in postoperative pain scores or functional shoulder scores between the two groups.

DISCUSSION

IV lidocaine appears to be helpful in reducing opioid requirements during the acute postoperative period in patients undergoing ARCR. IV lidocaine may be a viable option as a component of multimodal analgesia in ARCR when regional analgesia is not possible.

Defining recovery trajectories after shoulder arthroplasty: a latent class analysis of patient-reported outcomes

BACKGROUND

Patients undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) can have varying levels of improvement after surgery. As patients typically demonstrate a nonlinear recovery trajectory, advanced analysis investigating the degrees of variation in outcomes is needed. Latent class analysis (LCA) is a mixed and multilevel model that estimates random slope variance to evaluate heterogeneity in outcome patterns among patient subgroups and can be used to outline differing recovery trajectories. The purpose of this study was to determine recovery trajectory patterns after TSA and to identify factors that predict a given trajectory.

METHODS

Data from a prospectively collected single institutional database of patients undergoing anatomic and reverse TSA were utilized. Patients were included if they had American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form (ASES) scores preoperatively, as well as postoperative scores at 6 weeks, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years. Patients were excluded if they underwent a revision procedure or hemiarthroplasty or had prior infection. LCA was used to subdivide the patient cohort into subclasses based on postoperative recovery trajectory. This was performed for all patients as well as anatomic TSA and reverse TSA as separate groups. Unpaired Student t tests, analysis of variance, and Fisher exact test were used to compare classes based on factors including age, body mass index, sex, preoperative diagnosis, and type of arthroplasty.

RESULTS

A total of 244 TSAs were included in the final analysis, comprising 89 anatomic TSA and 155 reverse TSA. In the combined group, LCA modeling revealed 3 patterns for recovery: Resistant Responders had low baseline scores (ASES < 30) and poor final results (ASES < 50), Steady Progressors had moderate baseline scores (ASES 30-50) with moderate final results (ASES 50-75), and High Performers had moderate baseline scores (ASES > 50) with excellent final results (ASES > 75). For anatomic TSA, we identified Delayed Responders with moderate baseline scores and a delayed response before ultimately achieving moderate final results, Steady Progressors with moderate baseline scores and a steady progression to achieve moderate final results, and High Performers who had moderate baseline scores and excellent final results. For reverse TSA, we identified Late Regressors with low baseline scores and poor final results, Steady Progressors with moderate baseline scores and moderate final results, and High Performers with moderate baseline scores and excellent final results.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients recover in a heterogenous manner following TSA. Through LCA, we identified different recovery trajectories for patients undergoing anatomic TSA and reverse TSA.

Minimal clinically important difference, substantial clinical benefit, and patient acceptable symptom state of PROMIS upper extremity after total shoulder arthroplasty

Background

The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System minimal clinically important difference (PROMIS MCID), substantial clinical benefit (SCB), and patient acceptable symptom state (PASS) of patient-reported outcome measures provide clinical significance to patient-reported outcome measures scores. The goal of this study is to measure the MCID, SCB, and PASS of PROMIS Upper Extremity v2.0 (PROMIS UE) in patients undergoing total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA).

Methods

All patients who underwent TSA since October 2017 were identified from our institutional database. Patients who had completed the PROMIS UE outcome measure before surgery were asked to complete a PROMIS UE and anchor survey that contained two transition questions to assess patient satisfaction and change in symptoms since treatment. The anchor-based MCID, SCB, and PASS were calculated as the change in PROMIS UE score that represented the optimal cutoff for a receiver operating characteristic curve. The distribution-based MCID was calculated as a range between the average standard error of measurement multiplied by 2 different constants: 1 and 2.77.

Results

This study enrolled 165 patients. The anchor-based MCID for PROMIS UE was calculated to be 8.05 with an AUC of 0.814. The anchor-based SCB was calculated to be 10.0 with an AUC of 0.727. The distribution-based MCID was calculated to be between 3.12 and 8.65. The PASS was calculated to be 37.2 with an AUC of 0.90.

Conclusions

The establishment of MCID, SCB, and PASS for PROMIS UE scores after shoulder arthroplasty provides meaningful and objective clinical interpretation of the improvements in outcome scores after TSA.

Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation Correlates with American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Score for Common Elbow Pathology: A Retrospective Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

There are currently a variety of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) for elbow pathology, without any established gold standard. The Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) is a single question assessment of the patient's perceived overall function compared with normal. The SANE score has been correlated with PROs from the shoulder and knee literature.

PURPOSE

To correlate the SANE score for a variety of elbow pathologies with a traditionally reported elbow outcome measure, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons-Elbow score (ASES-E).

STUDY DESIGN

Cohort study (diagnosis); Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS

A retrospective review was performed of all patients identified at a single center between April 2016 and January 2019 who presented as a new patient with elbow pathology. All patients prospectively completed the ASES-E along with the SANE score for elbow (SANE-E) at the time of initial consultation. Spearman correlations (r) were performed to evaluate the correlation between the ASES-E and the SANE-E score for specific elbow pathology, along with descriptive data such as age, sex, and chronicity of the problem.

RESULTS

A total of 555 patients (166 women, 29.9%) with a mean ± SD age of 51.0 ± 11.7 years with the diagnoses of medial epicondylitis (n = 72; 13.0%), lateral epicondylitis (n = 224; 40.4%), biceps tendon rupture (n = 139; 25.0%), triceps tendon rupture (n = 21; 3.8%), and elbow arthritis (n = 99; 17.8%) were included in this analysis. There was moderate correlation between the SANE-E and the ASES-E (r = 0.623; P < .001), with strongest correlation with the visual analog scale (VAS) (r = -0.518; P < .001) compared with any individual question and moderate to strong correlations based on specific diagnoses. SANE-E and ASES-E scores for the entire cohort were 42.9 ± 26.7 and 56.9 ± 21.4, respectively (P < .001). Age (r = 0.027; P = .526), sex (r = 0.026; P = .555), VAS (r = -0.106; P = .013), and chronicity of the problem (r = -0.037; P = .384) were not found to be correlated with differences in ASES-E and SANE-E.

CONCLUSION

The SANE-E score is a simple way to assess patient-perceived function relative to normal. The findings of this study demonstrated moderate to strong correlation between the ASES-E and the SANE-E score for a variety of commonly encountered elbow conditions.

What Is the Implant Survivorship and Functional Outcome After Total Humeral Replacement in Patients with Primary Bone Tumors?

BACKGROUND

Total humeral replacement is an option to reconstruct massive bone defects after resection of locally advanced bone tumors of the humerus. However, implant survivorship, potential risk factors for implant revision surgery, and functional results of total humeral replacement are poorly elucidated because of the rarity of the procedure.

QUESTIONS/PURPOSES

We asked: (1) What is the revision-free implant and overall limb survivorship after total humerus replacement? (2) What factors are associated with implant revision surgery? (3) What is the functional outcome of the procedure as determined by the Musculoskeletal Tumor Society (MSTS) score and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score?

METHODS

Between August 1999 and December 2018, 666 patients underwent megaprosthetic reconstruction after resection of a primary malignant or locally aggressive/rarely metastasizing tumor of the long bones at our department. In all, 23% (154) of these patients had a primary tumor located in the humerus. During the study, we performed total humeral replacement in all patients with a locally advanced sarcoma, in patients with pathological fractures, in patients with skip metastases, or in patients with previous intralesional contaminating surgery, who would have no sufficient bone stock for a stable implant fixation for a single joint megaprosthetic replacement of the proximal or distal humerus. We performed no biological reconstructions or reconstructions with allograft-prosthetic composites. As a result, 5% (33 of 666) of patients underwent total humerus replacement. Six percent (2 of 33) of patients were excluded because they received a custom-made, three-dimensionally (3-D) printed hemiprosthesis, leaving 5% (31) of the initial 666 patients for inclusion in our retrospective analysis. Of these, 6% (2 of 31) had surgery more than 5 years ago, but they had not been seen in the last 5 years. Median (interquartile range) age at the time of surgery was 15 years (14 to 25 years), and indications for total humeral replacement were primary malignant bone tumors (n = 30) and a recurring, rarely metastasizing bone tumor (n = 1). All megaprosthetic reconstructions were performed with a single modular system. The implanted prostheses were silver-coated beginning in 2006, and beginning in 2010, a reverse proximal humerus component was used when appropriate. We analyzed endoprosthetic complications descriptively and assessed the functional outcome of all surviving patients who did not undergo secondary amputation using the 1993 MSTS score and the ASES score. The median (IQR) follow-up in all survivors was 75 months (50 to 122 months), with a minimum follow-up period of 25 months. We evaluated the following factors for possible association with implant revision surgery: age, BMI, reconstruction length, duration of surgery, extraarticular resection, pathological fracture, previous intralesional surgery, (neo-)adjuvant radio- and chemotherapy, and metastatic disease.

RESULTS

The revision-free implant survivorship at 1 year was 77% (95% confidence interval 58% to 89%) and 74% (95% CI 55% to 86%) at 5 years. The overall limb survivorship was 93% (95% CI 75% to 98%) after 1 and after 5 years. We found revision-free survivorship to be lower in patients with extraarticular shoulder resection compared with intraarticular resections (50% [95% CI 21% to 74%] versus 89% [95% CI 64% to 97%]) after 5 years (subhazard ratios for extraarticular resections 4.4 [95% CI 1.2 to 16.5]; p = 0.03). With the number of patients available for our analysis, we could not detect a difference in revision-free survivorship at 5 years between patients who underwent postoperative radiotherapy (40% [95% CI 5% to 75%]) and patients who did not (81% [95% CI 60% to 92%]; p = 0.09). The median (IQR) MSTS score in 9 of 13 surviving patients after a median follow-up of 75 months (51 to 148 months) was 87% (67% to 92%), and the median ASES score was 83 (63 to 89) of 100 points, with higher scores representing better function.

CONCLUSION

Total humeral replacement after resection of locally advanced bone tumors appears to be associated with a good functional outcome in patients who do not die of their tumors, which in our study was approximately one- third of those who were treated with a resection and total humerus prosthesis. However, the probability of early prosthetic revision surgery is high, especially in patients undergoing extraarticular resections, who should be counseled accordingly. Still, our results suggest that if the prosthesis survives the first year, further risk for revision appears to be low. Future studies should reexamine the effect of postoperative radiotherapy on implant survival in a larger cohort and evaluate whether the use of soft tissue coverage with plastic reconstructive surgery might decrease the risk of early revisions, especially in patients undergoing extraarticular resections.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III, therapeutic study.

Protocol for a Retrospective Comparative Study to Determine the Effect of Two Different Biocomposite Suture Anchors on the Occurrence of Bony Ingrowth and Implant Reabsorption Following Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair

Introduction

Surgical treatment of rotator cuff tears commonly entails reattachment of the ruptured tendon to its bony insertion using suture anchors. Suture anchor design has evolved from solid metal anchors to vented biocomposite anchors with potentially biologic consequences. Few studies have investigated the differences between different modern anchor design and materials, making it difficult to justify their use or cost.

Objective

To compare the rate of bony ingrowth and implant resorption between a coil-type open-architecture biocomposite suture anchor and a vented screw-type biocomposite suture anchor, used for arthroscopic double-row rotator cuff repair.

Methods and analysis

In this retrospective comparative study, a consecutive series of patients who undergo a double row rotator cuff repair using a coil-type open architecture biocomposite suture anchor in the medial row and a vented screw-type biocomposite suture anchor in the lateral row will be included. A sample size calculation demonstrated that 16 participants are required in each group. Primary outcome measures will be bony ingrowth and reabsorption of the suture anchor as measured on computed tomography (CT). Secondary outcomes will include patient reported outcome measures (The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score and The Western Ontario Rotator Cuff questionnaire), range of motion, postoperative tendon integrity, and cyst formation.

Highlights

Open-architecture suture anchors facilitate the release of marrow constituents.The rate of bony ingrowth for coil- and screw-type anchors will be assessed.The difference in functional outcome between the two anchors will be assessed.

First immunohistochemical evidence of human tendon repair following stem cell injection: A case report and review of literature

BACKGROUND

Current clinical treatment options for symptomatic, partial-thickness rotator cuff tear (sPTRCT) offer only limited potential for true tissue healing and improvement of clinical results. In animal models, injections of adult stem cells isolated from adipose tissue into tendon injuries evidenced histological regeneration of tendon tissue. However, it is unclear whether such beneficial effects could also be observed in a human tendon treated with fresh, uncultured, autologous, adipose derived regenerative cells (UA-ADRCs). A specific challenge in this regard is that UA-ADRCs cannot be labeled and, thus, not unequivocally identified in the host tissue. Therefore, histological regeneration of injured human tendons after injection of UA-ADRCs must be assessed using comprehensive, immunohistochemical and microscopic analysis of biopsies taken from the treated tendon a few weeks after injection of UA-ADRCs.

CASE SUMMARY

A 66-year-old patient suffered from sPTRCT affecting the right supraspinatus and infraspinatus tendon, caused by a bicycle accident. On day 18 post injury [day 16 post magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination] approximately 100 g of abdominal adipose tissue was harvested by liposuction, from which approximately 75 × 10⁶ UA-ADRCs were isolated within 2 h. Then, UA-ADRCs were injected (controlled by biplanar X-ray imaging) adjacent to the injured supraspinatus tendon immediately after isolation. Despite fast clinical recovery, a follow-up MRI examination 2.5 mo post treatment indicated the need for open revision of the injured infraspinatus tendon, which had not been treated with UA-ADRCs. During this operation, a biopsy was taken from the supraspinatus tendon at the position of the injury. A comprehensive, immunohistochemical and microscopic analysis of the biopsy (comprising 13 antibodies) was indicative of newly formed tendon tissue.

CONCLUSION

Injection of UA-ADRCs can result in regeneration of injured human tendons by formation of new tendon tissue.

Defining Clinically Significant Improvement on the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Test at 1-Year Follow-up for Patients Undergoing Hip Arthroscopy for the Treatment of Femoroacetabular Impingement Syndrome

BACKGROUND

Although minimal clinically important difference (MCID), Patient Acceptable Symptom State (PASS), and substantial clinical benefit (SCB) have been defined for hip-specific legacy patient-reported outcome measures, these metrics have not been defined for the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) instruments for patients undergoing hip arthroscopy.

PURPOSE

To define the MCID, PASS, and SCB thresholds for the PROMIS Physical Function (PF) computerized adaptive test (CAT) and PROMIS Pain Interference (PI) instruments in patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS).

STUDY DESIGN

Cohort study (Diagnosis); Level of evidence, 2.

METHODS

Patients undergoing primary hip arthroscopy between August 2018 and January 2019 for the treatment of FAIS were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were administered the PROMIS-PF, PROMIS-PI, Hip Outcome Score (HOS)-Activities of Daily Living, HOS-Sports Subscale, modified Harris Hip Score, and International Hip Outcome Tool-12 preoperatively and at 1 year postoperatively. MCID was calculated using the distribution method, whereas PASS and SCB were calculated using an anchor-based method. Patients achieving clinically significant outcomes (CSOs) were compared with those who did not achieve CSOs via chi-square and independent-samples t tests, and a multivariate logistic regression was conducted to determine predictors of CSO achievement.

RESULTS

124 patients with a mean age of 32.7 ± 12.3 years were included in the analysis. The threshold scores required to achieve MCID, PASS, and SCB, respectively, were as follows: PROMIS-PI (-3.1, 53.7, 51.9) and PROMIS-PF (3.3, 47.0, 49.9). Patients achieved any MCID, PASS, and SCB for PROMIS scores at a rate of 89.0%, 71.8%, and 62.1%, respectively, compared with 87.1%, 76.6%, and 71.8% for legacy patient-reported outcome measurements. For PROMIS-PF, higher preoperative PROMIS-PF score was a positive predictor of CSO achievement, and patients achieving SCB were significantly younger (30.3 ± 12 vs 35.6 ± 12 years; P = .017) with significantly lower body mass index (BMI) (24.7 ± 6.4 vs 27.9 ± 7; P = .009). Preoperative chronic pain and history of orthopaedic surgery were negative predictors of PROMIS-PI CSO achievement, whereas higher (worse) preoperative PROMIS-PI scores were a positive predictor.

CONCLUSION

Our study defined the MCID, PASS, and SCB for the PROMIS-PF CAT and PROMIS-PI CAT at 1 year postoperatively. Patients with higher preoperative PROMIS scores, younger age, and lower BMI were more likely to achieve CSO, whereas preoperative chronic pain and history of orthopaedic surgery were negative predictors of CSO achievement.

Correlation and responsiveness of global health, upper extremity-specific, and shoulder-specific functional outcome measures following reverse total shoulder arthroplasty for proximal humerus fracture

PURPOSE

Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA) is effective and increasingly utilized for the management of proximal humerus fracture (PHF). However, the optimal patient-reported outcome metrics (PROMs) for the evaluation of patient outcomes after this surgery are unclear. We investigated the correlation among global, upper extremity-specific, and shoulder-specific PROMs in patients undergoing rTSA for PHF as well as the responsiveness of these PROMs as assessed by floor and ceiling effects. We hypothesized that patients' post-operative outcome would be best reflected by a combination of these metrics.

METHODS

Thirty patients with a history of rTSA for ipsilateral PHF filled out the following outcomes questionnaires at a minimum of 3 years post-op: EQ-5D, EQ-5D VAS, PROMIS physical function, DASH, SSV, SPADI, and ASES. Correlation between metrics was assessed using the Spearman correlation coefficient. Responsiveness was assessed by comparing the proportion of patients reaching floor or ceiling values using McNemar's test.

RESULTS

Global health metrics (EQ-5D and PROMIS physical function) were strongly correlated with the upper extremity-specific metric (DASH). Shoulder-specific outcomes (SPADI, ASES, and ASES) were moderately correlated with both the global metrics and DASH. There was no significant difference between PROMs with regards to floor and ceiling effects.

CONCLUSIONS

The DASH score has been shown to be valid and responsive for shoulder interventions, and our data demonstrate that it correlates strongly with overall quality of life. Shoulder-specific metrics are valid and responsive for shoulder interventions but correlate less with global quality of life. An optimal PROM strategy in rTSA for PHF might involve both DASH and a shoulder-specific score. Based on our assessment of floor and ceiling effects, none of these metrics should be excluded for poor responsiveness.

Comparison of reliability, validity and responsiveness of the Japanese Orthopaedic Association Shoulder 36 Ver. 1.3 among different diagnoses of shoulder lesions

BACKGROUND

Shoulder 36 (Sh-36) is an original quality of life measure for shoulder lesions with high reliability and validity; however, in some cases, especially in those with a Bankart lesion, we observed no improvement in Sh-36 during the postoperative follow-up. Sh-36 may be less effective for a certain shoulder lesion. This study aimed to compare the reliability, validity, and responsiveness of Sh-36 among different representative diagnoses of shoulder lesions.

METHODS

Sh-36 and the Disability of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) were measured in 192 patients with a Bankart lesion (Bankart group), rotator cuff tear (Cuff group), and SLAP lesion (SLAP group) who underwent arthroscopic surgery. Both measures were evaluated before surgery, and at 3, 6, 9, 12, 18, and 24 months postoperatively, and reliability, validity, and responsiveness of Sh-36 and the DASH were compared among the three groups.

RESULTS

Significant postoperative improvement was observed in the three groups (p < 0.0001) within 9 months. No marked improvement was observed after 9 months in the Bankart and SLAP groups due to the ceiling effect; however, most domains of Sh-36 increased continuously in the Cuff group during the whole follow-up period. Reliability and construct validity were sufficient in all the groups. The longitudinal validity was sufficient in most domains for the three groups; however, the standardized response mean in the Bankart group was lower than that in other two groups, indicating low responsiveness in this group because of the ceiling effect.

CONCLUSIONS

Sh-36 was a valid and reliable instrument in patients who have undergone arthroscopic shoulder surgery, especially for patient with a rotator cuff tear with high responsiveness. However, Sh-36 had lower standard response mean representing lower responsiveness in the Bankart group due to the ceiling effect and may not be ideal for longitudinal follow-up in patients with a Bankart lesion.

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.

Surgical treatment of humeral head avascular necrosis in patients with sickle cell disease: a systematic review

Background

Sickle cell disease is the leading etiology for atraumatic humeral head avascular necrosis worldwide. Treatment of this condition is not standardized, with only few studies evaluating clinical outcomes after surgical interventions. The aim of this study was to review the available evidence on the results of surgical intervention for humeral head avascular necrosis in the sickle cell disease population.

Methods

A systematic electronic search was conducted using PubMed (MEDLINE), EMBASE, and Cochrane Library databases. Relevant studies that reported the outcomes of surgical intervention for humeral head avascular necrosis for patients with sickle cell disease were reviewed. Outcome parameters were pain, range of motion, specific shoulder outcome scores, and complications.

Results

Six studies, three retrospective cohorts (2 level III and 1 level IV) and three case series (level IV), were included in this review. A total of forty-three patients with sickle cell disease, comprising forty-nine shoulders, underwent different surgical procedures. Surgical procedures were core decompression, arthroscopic intervention, humeral head resurfacing, shoulder hemiarthroplasty, and total shoulder arthroplasty.

Conclusion

Surgical intervention for humeral head avascular necrosis in patients with sickle cell disease is selected based on the osteonecrosis stage. In the precollapse stage, core decompression is regarded as the first surgical option. However, in the light of current evidence, it has not been confirmed to prevent or delay natural progression of the disease. Shoulder arthroplasty is reserved for late stages, which despite the fairly good outcomes, data for long-term implant survival and complications are not well documented.

The relationship between rotator cuff integrity and acromiohumeral distance following open and arthroscopic rotator cuff repair

Background: Acromiohumeral distance (AHD) has become both a diagnostic and prognostic parameter related to rotator cuff pathology which is always measured in a 2-dimensional plane. The purposes of this study were (1) to evaluate the regional AHD with MRI following open and arthroscopic rotator cuff repair and, (2) to investigate its association to the rotator cuff integrity following medium to large size rotator cuff repair with open and arthroscopic manner. Methods: A retrospective review of 112 patients who were treated for full-thickness medium to large size rotator cuff tears either by open repair (open group) or arthroscopic repair (arthroscopic group) was done. All patients included in the study are those with at least 12 and 18 months for the post-operative MRI and clinical follow-up. Propensity score matching was used to select controls matched for age, sex, body mass index, tear size, and affected site. There were 56 patients in each group with a mean age of 63.3 years (range, 50 to 77 years). The post-operative functional and radiologic outcomes for both groups were compared. AHD was measured at three regions of interest (ROI) with MRI and compared pre-and post-operatively. Results: AHD was significantly greater in the open group when measured at the anterior third of the lateral acromion border compare to the arthroscopic group (p = 0.005). The re-tear rate was affected by AHD at the anterior third of the lateral border of the acromion for the arthroscopic and open group (p = 0.021, p = 0.029). The AHD measured at the anterior and middle third of lateral acromion border were significantly greater in healed compared to the re-tear rotator cuff group (p = 0.019, p = 0.022). Conclusions: Open rotator cuff repair showed greater AHD at the anterior third of the lateral border of the acromion. Regional AHD measured at anterior third of the lateral border of acromion significantly associated with rotator cuff integrity following repair. Level of evidence: propensity-matched case-control (Level II)

Correlation of Patient Reported Outcome Measurement Information System (PROMIS) with American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon (ASES), and Constant (CS) scores in idiopathic adhesive capsulitis

PURPOSE

To correlate the Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Upper Extremity (PROMIS UE) score with pre-existing validated outcome scores, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score (ASES), and Constant score (CS) in patients with idiopathic adhesive capsulitis (AC).

METHODS

Patients with a clinical diagnosis of idiopathic AC ("freezing" or "frozen" phases) who agreed to complete the ASES, CS, and PROMIS UE scores during their office visit were included in this study. Trained researchers performed the objective clinical assessments on the included patients. Responses to the 3 outcome scores were statistically analyzed and compared using Pearson correlation coefficients. Floor and ceiling effects were calculated.

RESULTS

The final cohort included 100 patients with AC, of whom there were 72% female and 87% right hand dominant, with a mean age of 55 years. The PROMIS UE required fewer question responses (5.02 ± 1.84) compared with the fixed question burden with ASES (12) and CS (9). The mean outcome scores were 34.6 ± 2.5 (PROMIS UE), 55 ± 22 (ASES), and 51 ± 16 (CS). The PROMIS UE displayed an excellent correlation with both the ASES (r = 0.80, 95% confidence interval [0.72, 0.86], P < .001) and CS (r = 0.76, 95% confidence interval [0.67, 0.83], P < .001). Neither ceiling nor floor effects were present.

CONCLUSION

The PROMIS UE displayed comparable efficacy to commonly used legacy outcome scores (ASES and CS) in AC. A lower question burden with the PROMIS UE carries potential for wider acceptability with the researchers and patients with shoulder pathology.

Two-year results of arthroscopic conjoint tendon transfer procedure for the management of failed anterior stabilization of the shoulder

Background

Management of failed anterior stabilization is difficult. There are two main options for revision either a revision labral repair which has published high failure rates because of poor quality capsulolabral tissues or a bone block/Latarjet procedure with associated morbidity and complication rates. On this background, the senior author (D.T.) has developed a new procedure to treat this difficult to manage clinical scenario.

Aim

The aim of this study was to evaluate the 2-year results of an arthroscopic conjoint tendon transfer procedure. The procedure has previously been developed to provide a potential solution for active patients with a failed labral repair, subcritical glenoid bone loss, and an on-track Hill-Sachs lesion.

Methods

Consecutive patients who fulfilled the inclusion criteria were prospectively recruited. Inclusion criteria were active patients with recurrent shoulder instability owing to failed labral repair, less than 10% anterior glenoid bone loss, and an on-track Hill Sachs lesion. Patients were fully consented and offered a choice of revision with an arthroscopic labral repair, a Latarjet procedure or the arthroscopic conjoint tendon transfer procedure. Preoperative and postoperative Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index and Oxford Instability Score were collected.

Results

Eight patients met the inclusion criteria and opted for the conjoint tendon transfer procedure. Mean age was 35 with a male:female ratio of 7:1. No patients had hyperlaxity clinically. At median follow-up of 31 months (range 24-41), there was a significant improvement in both the median Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index (53.7 to 13.4, P = .0003) and Oxford Instability Score (27 to 44.5, P = .0017) scores. No patient had a further dislocation, and all were able to resume contact and noncontact sports.

Conclusion

Our results at a minimum of 2-year follow-up demonstrate that the arthroscopic transfer of the conjoint tendon confers clinical stability in patients with a failed primary labral repair who have minimal bone loss.

Outcomes of the arthroscopic Bankart procedure in Irish collision sport athletes

BACKGROUND

While there is an abundance of research examining the outcomes of the arthroscopic Bankart repair in collision athletes, very few studies have involved the unique Irish collision sport athlete population. The previously held belief that collision athletes need to be treated with open surgery, due to the high traumatic forces the shoulder is subjected to in these sports, may no longer be true in the context of modern arthroscopic techniques and implants.

AIMS

To report the outcomes of the arthroscopic Bankart procedure in the unique Irish collision athlete population.

METHOD

Retrospective review conducted in 2018. Data was obtained from collision sport athletes using customised questionnaires and validated, standardised outcome measure tools. Participants were selected using inclusion and exclusion criteria.

RESULTS

Fifty-four patients were included in the study. The average age at primary injury was 19.9 years (range 13-35 years). The rate of recurrent dislocation was 21% (12/57) with a mean follow up time of 24 months (range 7 to 48 months). The mean patient reported outcome measure (PROM) scores were as follows: ASES = 90.8, WOSI = 316.4, SSV = 79%. Six patients failed to return to their sport. Eighty-seven percent of the cohort returned to their sport, with a mean time to return of 7.25 months. Patients who experienced recurrent instability after arthroscopic Bankart had a younger age at primary dislocation (P = 0.0005) and lower ASES (P = 0.0056) and WOSI scores (0.00132) at latest follow-up, compared to those who remained stable postsurgery.

CONCLUSION

The arthroscopic Bankart procedure has a high rate of recurrence of dislocation in Irish collision sport athletes. The current international literature suggests that the arthroscopic Bankart has similar rates of recurrence to the open procedure in collision athletes; however, this may not hold true for Irish collision sport athletes. Further research is required to determine the optimum surgical procedure for anterior shoulder instability in this population, particularly those patients with subcritical bone loss.

Medium-Term Clinical and Radiographic Results of an All-Polyethylene, Pegged, Bone-Ingrowth Glenoid Component: A Concise Follow-up of a Previous Report

ABSTRACT

We previously reported the mean 4-year outcomes of anatomic total shoulder replacement using an all-polyethylene, pegged, hybrid-fixation (bone ingrowth and cement) glenoid component. In the present study, we report on that patient cohort after another 4 years of follow-up (mean, 101 months; range, 77 to 146 months). At that time, the median American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score was 92 points (interquartile range [IQR], 81.7 to 98.3) and the median Oxford Shoulder Score was 47 points (IQR, 41 to 48). Osseointegration, demonstrated by bone ingrowth between the flanges on the central peg as seen on coronal computed tomography (CT), was complete in 75% of the shoulders, partial in 21%, and absent in 4%. There were radiolucent lines at the bone-prosthesis interface on CT, with a median Yian score of 1 (IQR, 0 to 2; range, 0 to 18). The conclusion in the present study was that shoulder arthroplasty with an all-polyethylene, hybrid-fixation (bone ingrowth and cement) pegged glenoid component has durable clinical and radiographic outcomes at medium-term follow-up.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Patch augmentation surgery for rotator cuff repair: the PARCS mixed-methods feasibility study

BACKGROUND

A rotator cuff tear is a common, disabling shoulder problem. Symptoms may include pain, weakness, lack of shoulder mobility and sleep disturbance. Many patients require surgery to repair the tear; however, there is a high failure rate. There is a need to improve the outcome of rotator cuff surgery, and the use of patch augmentation (on-lay or bridging) to provide support to the healing process and improve patient outcomes holds promise. Patches have been made using different materials (e.g. human/animal skin or tissue and synthetic materials) and processes (e.g. woven or mesh).

OBJECTIVES

The aim of the Patch Augmented Rotator Cuff Surgery (PARCS) feasibility study was to determine the design of a definitive randomised controlled trial assessing the clinical effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of a patch to augment surgical repair of the rotator cuff that is both acceptable to stakeholders and feasible.

DESIGN

A mixed-methods feasibility study of a randomised controlled trial.

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE, EMBASE and the Cochrane Library databases were searched between April 2006 and August 2018.

METHODS

The project involved six stages: a systematic review of clinical evidence, a survey of the British Elbow and Shoulder Society's surgical membership, a survey of surgeon triallists, focus groups and interviews with stakeholders, a two-round Delphi study administered via online questionnaires and a 2-day consensus meeting. The various stakeholders (including patients, surgeons and industry representatives) were involved in stages 2-6.

RESULTS

The systematic review comprised 52 studies; only 15 were comparative and, of these, 11 were observational (search conducted in August 2018). These studies were typically small (median number of participants 26, range 5-152 participants). There was some evidence to support the use of patches, although most comparative studies were at a serious risk of bias. Little to no published clinical evidence was available for a number of patches in clinical use. The membership survey of British Elbow and Shoulder surgeons [105 (21%) responses received] identified a variety of patches in use. Twenty-four surgeons (77%) completed the triallist survey relating to trial design. Four focus groups were conducted, involving 24 stakeholders. Differing views were held on a number of aspects of trial design, including the appropriate patient population (e.g. patient age) to participate. Agreement on the key research questions and the outline of two potential randomised controlled trials were achieved through the Delphi study [29 (67%)] and the consensus meeting that 22 participants attended.

LIMITATIONS

The main limitation was that the findings were influenced by the participants, who are not necessarily representative of the views of the relevant stakeholder groups.

CONCLUSION

The need for further clinical studies was clear, particularly given the range and number of different patches available.

FUTURE WORK

Randomised comparisons of on-lay patch use for completed rotator cuff repairs and bridging patch use for partial rotator cuff repairs were identified as areas for further research. The value of an observational study to assess safety concerns of patch use was also highlighted. These elements are included in the trial designs proposed in this study.

STUDY REGISTRATION

The systematic review is registered as PROSPERO CRD42017057908.

FUNDING

This project was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Health Technology Assessment programme and will be published in full in Health Technology Assessment; Vol. 25, No. 13. See the NIHR Journals Library website for further project information.

Increased preoperative greater tuberosity angle does not affect patient-reported outcomes postarthroscopic rotator cuff repair

Background

The greater tuberosity angle (GTA) is a newly described radiological parameter identified in a 2018 study by Cunningham et al that sought to investigate the effect of GT morphology on cuff tears. Increased GTA has been conceptualized to affect rotator cuff pathology through both extrinsic and intrinsic mechanisms. GTA > 70° was highly predictive of a degenerative rotator cuff tear. This study seeks to examine if increased GTA predicts for worse functional outcomes 2 years postoperatively after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

Methods

Between May 2010 and December 2016, 169 patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with subacromial decompression were included in this study. GTA was measured on preoperative radiographs. These patients were evaluated preoperatively and at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years postoperatively. Outcomes were assessed with the Visual Analog Scale Pain score, Constant Shoulder Score, and the Oxford Shoulder Score. Power analysis was performed based on the minimal clinically important difference of the Constant Shoulder Score. Statistical analysis was performed by dividing patients into two groups based on GTA: 1) ≤ 70 (control GTA); and 2) >70 (increased GTA) and comparisons were made between the 2 groups.

Results

The patients’ demographics were comparable between both groups. All 169 patients had statistically significant improvements in all functional scores at 2 years postoperatively. There were no statistically significant differences between the two groups of patients in Visual Analog Scale and functional scores at 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 year postoperatively. The changes in functional scores from their preoperative baseline were also tabulated, and there were no statistically significant differences between the 2 groups. Finally, there was no significant correlation between GTA with CSS or Oxford Shoulder Score at 2 years follow-up.

Conclusion

This study represents the largest single series available investigating the influence of GTA on midterm functional outcomes after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Although GTA remains a reliable radiographic predictor of rotator cuff tears, the authors conclude that increased GTA does not negatively influence midterm functional outcomes. As there is also no statistical significance between increased GTA vs. control in relative functional gain 2 years postoperatively, corrective tuberoplasty may not be mandatory during arthroscopic repair of cuff tears. Standard arthroscopic double-row rotator cuff repair with subacromial decompression can still be offered as a suitable treatment option.

Use of implantable meshes for augmented rotator cuff repair: a systematic review and meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

To appraise studies reporting on clinical effectiveness and safety of surgical meshes used to augment rotator cuff repairs (RCRs).

DESIGN

Systematic review and meta-analysis.

DATA SOURCES

MEDLINE, Embase and Cochrane databases were searched between April 2006 and April 2020.

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

All studies evaluating adults (≥18 years) undergoing RCR were considered. There were no language restrictions.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS

Screening, data extraction and quality appraisal were conducted by two independent reviewers. Meta-analysis was conducted using a random-effects models if ≥2 comparative studies reported the same outcome measure. Risk of bias assessment was undertaken for randomised (RoB2, Cochrane) and comparative studies (ROBINS-I, Cochrane).

RESULTS

We included 60 studies, consisting of 7 randomised controlled trials, 13 observational comparative studies and 40 observational case series. All comparative studies reported on shoulder-specific functional outcome scores, 18 on the radiographic occurrence of re-tear and 14 on pain score metrics. All studies contained some risk of bias.Compared with non-augmented repair, a small improvement in shoulder-specific function or pain scores was observed for synthetic patches with a mean improvement of 6.7 points on the University of California Los Angles (UCLA) shoulder score (95% CI 0.1 to 13.4) and 0.46 point reduction on the Visual Analogue Scale (95% CI -0.74 to -0.17), respectively. A reduced likelihood of radiologically observed re-tear was observed for synthetic (risk ratio (RR) 0.41, 95% CI 0.27 to 0.61) and allograft (RR 0.34, 95% CI 0.18 to 0.65) patches. A total of 49 studies reported on the occurrence of complications. Slightly higher crude complication rates were observed following patch-augmented repair (2.1%) than standard repair (1.6%).

CONCLUSIONS

While several studies suggest a decreased failure rate and small improvements in shoulder function and pain following augmented RCR, a paucity of rigorous clinical evaluation, for both effectiveness and safety, prevents firm recommendations.

PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER

CRD42017057908.

Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System Physical Function Has a Lower Effect Size and is Less Responsive Than Legacy Hip Specific Patient Reported Outcome Measures Following Arthroscopic Hip Surgery

PURPOSE

To compare the use and responsiveness of Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) to legacy patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) in patients undergoing hip arthroscopy for femoroacetabular impingement syndrome (FAIS) at 6-month follow-up.

METHODS

Data from patients who underwent primary hip arthroscopy with routine capsular closure between August 2018 and January 2019 for the treatment of FAIS were analyzed. Preoperative outcomes, 6-month postoperative outcomes, and demographics were recorded. Primary outcome measures included PROMIS Physical Function (PROMIS-PF), PROMIS Pain Interference (PROMIS-PI), and PROMIS Depression. The legacy PROMs included Hip Outcome Score Activities of Daily Living (HOS-ADL), Hip Outcome Score Sport Subscale (HOS-SS), and the international hip outcome tool 12 questions (iHOT-12). Floor and ceiling effects along with the responsiveness and Cohen's d effect size of each PROM tool were calculated.

RESULTS

Ninety-six patients with an average age and body mass index of 32.4 ± 11.9 years and 25.9 ± 6.1 kg/m², respectively, were included in the final analysis. All outcomes were significantly higher at 6 months compared with the preoperative level (P < .001) except for PROMIS Depression (P = .873). PROMIS-PF demonstrated excellent correlation with HOS-SS (r = 0.81; P < .001), very good correlation with HOS-ADL (r = 0.73; P < .001), and good correlation with iHOT-12 (r = 0.68; P < .001). No floor was observed for any measure. The effect size was large for all outcomes, except PROMIS Depression (d = 0.04), but largest for iHOT12 (d = 1.87) followed by HOS-ADL (d = 1.29). The iHOT-12 was more responsive than PROMIS-PI (relative efficiency [RE] = 3.95), PROMIS-PF (RE = 4.13), HOS-ADL (RE = 2.26), and HOS-SS (RE = 3.84). HOS-SS was similarly responsive to PROMIS-PI (RE=1.03) and PROMIS-PF (RE=1.08). However, PROMIS-PF was overall the least responsive.

CONCLUSIONS

In patients at 6 months postoperatively from hip arthroscopy for FAIS, iHOT-12 was the most responsive and had the largest effect size. In contrast, PROMIS-PF had a lower effect size compared with legacy hip-specific PROMs. Additionally, PROMIS-PF did not correlate as well with iHOT-12 compared with HOS-SS.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level IV, case series.

Maximal Medical Improvement Following Shoulder Stabilization Surgery May Require up to 1 Year: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

There is increased emphasis on properly allocating healthcare resources to optimize value within orthopedic surgery. Establishing time to maximal medical improvement (MMI) can inform clinical decision-making and practice guidelines.

PURPOSE

We sought (1) to evaluate the time to MMI as predicted by commonly used patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) for evaluation of shoulder stabilization and (2) to evaluate typical time to return to sports and employment following surgery.

METHODS

A systematic review of the Medline database was conducted to identify outcome studies reporting sequential follow-up at multiple time points, up to a minimum of 2 years after shoulder stabilization surgery. The included studies examined the outcomes of arthroscopic or open surgical techniques on anterior instability. Clinically significant improvements were evaluated utilizing the minimal clinically important difference specific to each PROM. Secondary outcomes included range of motion, return to sport/work, and recurrent instability.

RESULTS

Ten studies comprising 590 surgically managed cases of anterior shoulder instability were included (78% arthroscopic, 22% open). Clinically significant improvements in PROMs were achieved up to 1 year post-operatively for Rowe, Western Ontario Instability Index (WOSI), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES), and Simple Shoulder Test (SST) scores. For the three most utilized tools (Rowe, WOSI, ASES), the majority of improvement occurred in the first 6 post-operative months. Clinically significant improvements in Constant Score and Oxford Shoulder Instability Score (OSIS) were achieved up to 6 months and 2 years after surgery, respectively. No clinically significant improvements were achieved on the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) tool.

CONCLUSION

Maximal medical improvement as determined by commonly utilized PROMs occurs by 1 year after operative management of anterior shoulder instability. The DASH tool does not appear to demonstrate a reliable time frame for clinically significant outcome improvement.

Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Nonoperative Platelet-Rich Plasma Shoulder Injections for Rotator Cuff Pathology

BACKGROUND

Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) injections have been introduced to augment the recovery of patients with shoulder pathology. Although multiple studies have been published, no large-scale trials or meta-analyses have assessed the efficacy of nonoperative shoulder PRP injection.

OBJECTIVE

To assess the efficacy of nonoperative PRP shoulder injection in rotator cuff pathology for pain as measured by the visual analog scale (VAS) and range of motion (ROM).

DESIGN

Two authors independently screened the Medline and Cochrane databases to include prospective studies that reported VAS and ROM outcomes for nonoperative shoulder PRP injections for rotator cuff pathology. Study quality was assessed using the revised Cochrane Collaboration risk-of-bias tool and modified Downs and Black checklist. Subsequent meta-analysis was performed to determine the effect of nonoperative PRP injections on pain and ROM 3 to 12 months after intervention.

RESULTS

Six studies met systematic review criteria. The included studies used different PRP formulations (concentration, leukocyte count), injection protocols (approach, injection number), and varied study designs. Three studies concluded that PRP provided no significant benefit for pain and ROM when compared to physical therapy. Within-group meta-analysis of six fairly heterogeneous studies (I² 77.8%) demonstrated a statistically significant (P < .001) improvement in pain 3 to 12 months after PRP injection. Within-group meta-analysis for four studies for shoulder flexion and abduction was found to be too heterogeneous to derive meaningful results.

CONCLUSION

There is a limited quantity of high-quality studies that assess the efficacy of nonoperative PRP shoulder injection for pain and ROM. Systematic review of PRP injections did not demonstrate an improvement in pain or ROM compared to physical therapy. Although within-group meta-analysis of nonoperative PRP statistically showed that nonoperative PRP improved pain, the lack of adequate negative controls precludes the ability to conclude whether improvements were due to natural recovery or nonoperative PRP.

Function-Sparing Free Split Latissimus Dorsi Flap for Lower-Extremity Reconstruction: Five-Year Consecutive Single-Surgeon Series

BACKGROUND

The free split latissimus dorsi flap for lower-extremity reconstruction has some advantages over the traditional latissimus dorsi flap. The flap is harvested with the patient in the supine position and is associated with minimal morbidity as the function of the remaining latissimus dorsi muscle is preserved through the posterior division of the thoracodorsal nerve.

METHODS

A consecutive single-surgeon 5-year series of free split latissimus dorsi muscle flaps for lower-extremity reconstruction (n = 42) was evaluated. Donor site morbidity was evaluated through assessment of the strength of the remaining latissimus dorsi at least 1 month after surgery. Shoulder function was evaluated postoperatively using the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, and Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI).

RESULTS

The mean age of the 42 patients was 40.7 years. The mean length and width of the flaps were 17.9 cm and 8.6 cm. The majority (71%) of the wounds were due to acute trauma. Of the 42 flap procedures performed, 95% (40) were successful. Assessment of remaining latissimus dorsi strength at least 1 month postoperatively, during 3 activities, showed a Medical Research Council (MRC) grade of 5 in all patients. The mean and median scores were 6.4 and 0 according to the DASH, 6.0/6.4 and 0/0 on the SPADI pain/disability scales, and 90.7 and 100 on the ASES.

CONCLUSIONS

The free split latissimus dorsi flap is a large reliable muscle flap with negligible donor site morbidity that is particularly advantageous for lower-extremity resurfacing following trauma.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Robot-assisted training after proximal humeral fracture: A randomised controlled multicentre intervention trial

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether robotic-assisted training as a supplement to usual therapy is safe, acceptable and improves function and patient reported outcome after proximal humeral fractures (PHF).

DESIGN

Multicentre, assessor-blinded, randomised controlled prospective trial.

SETTING

Three different rehabilitation hospitals in Germany.

SUBJECTS

In total 928 PHF patients between 35 and 70 years were screened. Forty-eight participants were included in the study (intervention group n = 23; control group n = 25).

INTERVENTION

The control group received usual occupational and physiotherapy over three weeks, and the intervention group received additional 12 robot-assisted training sessions at the ARMEO^®-Spring.

MAIN MEASURES

Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire (DASH), the Wolf Motor Function Test-Orthopaedic, active range of motion and grip strength were determined before and after intervention period. The DASH was additionally obtained postal 6 and 13 months following surgery.

RESULTS

The mean age of participants was 55 ± 10 years and was similar in both groups (p > 0.05). The change in DASH as the primary endpoint in the intervention group after intervention was -15 (CI = 8-22), at follow-up six month -7 (CI = -2 to 16) at follow up 13 month -9 (CI = 1-16); in control group -14 (CI = 11-18), at follow-up six month -13 (CI = 7-19) at follow up 13 month -6 (CI = -3 to 14). No difference in the change was found between groups (p > 0.05). None of the follow-up time points demonstrated an additional benefit of the robotic therapy.

CONCLUSION

The additional robot-assisted therapy was safe, acceptable but showed no improvement in functional shoulder outcome compared to usual therapy only.

Clinical midterm results of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in patients older than 75 years

BACKGROUND

The effect of patient age on functional improvement after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) is still a matter of debate. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical midterm results after ARCR in patients who were 75 years or older at the time of surgery.

METHODS

A total of 31 shoulders in 30 patients older than 75 years at the time of surgery underwent ARCR for a degenerative full-thickness rotator cuff tear (RCT) between 2010 and 2016. Among those, 23 shoulders in 22 patients (74%) with a mean age at time of surgery of 77 ± 2 years (range, 75-82 years) were followed up after a mean of 7 ± 2 years (range, 3-9 years). Clinical assessment included the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff (WORC) index as well as patient satisfaction, the Subjective Shoulder Value (SSV), Simple Shoulder Test (SST), and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form (ASES) score.

RESULTS

Overall, patient satisfaction was excellent, as everybody stated to be very satisfied with the surgery. Neither any complication nor revision surgery occurred during the study period. At final follow-up, the mean WORC index was 88% ± 15%. The mean SSV was comparable between the affected shoulder (90% ± 15%) and the contralateral side (87% ± 15%) (P = .235). The mean SST score was 10 ± 2 points and the mean ASES score was 89 ± 17 points.

CONCLUSION

ARCR for symptomatic RCTs without advanced muscle degeneration in patients older than 75 years at the time of surgery provided good clinical results and high patient satisfaction at midterm follow-up.

Patient-Reported Outcomes of Shoulder Surgery in a Community Orthopedic Practice: A 5-Year Quality Improvement Project Using the QuickDASH Questionnaire

There has been a shift in US health care to a system that emphasizes value. Patient-reported outcomes have become a critical component of that valuation. A 5-year quality improvement project at the community private practice level was undertaken to assess the authors' delivery of care and practice processes for shoulder surgery as compared with established standards. QuickDASH questionnaires were collected from 1304 consecutive shoulder surgery patients, and data were collected at 4 time points. Mean QuickDASH scores for each procedure and scores assessing biceps tenodesis, distal clavicle excision, workers' compensation status, and sex were analyzed for statistical significance. Rotator cuff repair patients who also underwent biceps tenodesis had statistically significant worse function preoperatively and at 3 and 6 months postoperatively but not at 1 year postoperatively (P<.05). Rotator cuff repair patients undergoing concomitant distal clavicle excision had statistically significantly higher pre-operative scores (P<.01). Male shoulder arthroplasty patients had statistically significant higher preoperative scores (P<.02). Non-workers' compensation patients had statistically significant higher scores at 1 year (P<.05), whereas workers' compensation patients were statistically significantly younger (P<.01). Maximum changes in scores that met minimal clinically important differences occurred between surgery and 6 months postoperatively in all procedures. Quality outcome studies can be performed in private practice by a single surgeon and yield helpful results that lead to quality improvement through practice and delivery of care processes. [Orthopedics. 2020;43(5):e383-e388.].

Partial articular supraspinatus tendon avulsion: Should we repair? A systematic review of the evidence

INTRODUCTION

Partial articular sided rotator cuff tears are described as being a common cause of shoulder pain and to have a significant impact of patient quality of life. The natural history of partial articular supraspinatus tendon avulsion lesions is not clearly defined and there is limited evidence to determine optimal management.

AIMS

To perform a systematic review of the literature regarding the evidence for partial articular supraspinatus tendon avulsion repair and to determine whether there is any difference between operative and non-operatively managed patients.

METHODS

Conventional and grey literature were searched with defined terms to identify studies in human adults concerning management of partial articular sided supraspinatus avulsions.

RESULTS

Out of 86 papers identified by the search terms, 28 were deemed eligible for review including 1966 shoulders. 4/28 papers were of level I-II evidence but all were comparing techniques. 4/28 papers were biomechanical cadaveric studies, assessing strength of repair and effect on stability. The remaining 20 studies were level IV-V evidence and consisted of case series and technical notes identifying varying techniques of repair and their outcomes.

CONCLUSION

Current literature suggests that all techniques used to repair partial articular supraspinatus tendon avulsion lesions give increased functional scores and reduced pain. However, this represents a heterogeneous group of patients with variable degrees of tear and is not reproducible. There are limited controlled studies to determine whether partial articular supraspinatus tendon avulsion lesions require repair. Current classification systems represent a single plane and are open to user variation. No evidence exists to determine which tears are stable and which may progress.

Functional outcomes and complications of intramedullary fixation devices for Midshaft clavicle fractures: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background

An alternative to the current gold standard in operative treatment of displaced midshaft clavicle fractures (DMCF) using plate osteosynthesis, is internal fixation by means of intramedullary fixation devices. These devices differ considerably in their specifications and characteristics and an evaluation of their clinical results is warranted. The aim of this systematic review is to generate an overview of functional outcomes and complications in the management of DMCF per available intramedullary device.

Methods

A systematic review was conducted to identify all papers reporting functional outcomes, union rates and/or complications using an intramedullary fixation device for the management of midshaft clavicle fractures. Multiple databases and trial registries were searched from inception until February 2020. Meta-analysis was conducted based on functional outcomes and type of complication per type of intramedullary fixation device. Pooled estimates of functional outcomes scores and incidence of complications were calculated using a random effects model. Risk of bias and quality was assessed using the Cochrane risk of bias and ROBINS-I tools. The confidence in estimates were rated and described according to the recommendations of the GRADE working group.

Results

Sixty-seven studies were included in this systematic review. The majority of studies report on the use of Titanium Elastic Nails (TEN). At 12 months follow up the Titanium Elastic Nail and Sonoma CRx report an average Constant-Murley score of 94.4 (95%CI 93–95) and 94.0 (95%CI 92–95) respectively (GRADE High). The most common reported complications after intramedullary fixation are implant-related and implant-specific. For the TEN, hardware irritation and protrusion, telescoping or migration, with a reported pooled incidence 20% (95%CI 14–26) and 12% (95%CI 8–18), are most common (GRADE Moderate). For the Rockwood/Hagie Pin, hardware irritation is identified as the most common complication with 22% (95%CI 13–35) (GRADE Low). The most common complication for the Sonoma CRx was cosmetic dissatisfaction in 6% (95%CI 2–17) of cases (GRADE Very low).

Conclusion

Although most studies were of low quality, good functional results and union rates irrespective of the type of device are found. However, there are clear device-related and device-specific complications for each. The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis can help guide surgeons in choosing the appropriate operative strategy, implant and informing their patient.

Level of Evidence

IV

Rasch analysis of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) instrument in patients with a humeral shaft fracture

BACKGROUND

The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) instrument was developed to assess the disability experienced by patients with any musculoskeletal condition of the upper extremity and to monitor change in symptoms and upper-limb function over time. The 30 items are scored on a 5-point rating scale. The Dutch-language version of the DASH instrument (DASH-DLV) has been examined with the classical test theory in patients with a humeral shaft fracture. This study aimed to examine the DASH-DLV with a more rigorous and extensive analysis by applying the Rasch model.

METHODS

Data of 400 patients included in a multicenter, prospective study comparing operative and nonoperative treatment of adult patients with a humeral shaft fracture were used. The person-item map, item fit statistics, reliability, response category ordering, and dimensionality were examined. Raw data were converted to linear measures using the Rasch model.

RESULTS

The DASH-DLV showed a good fit to the Rasch model, except for item 26 ("Tingling [pins and needles] in your arm, shoulder or hand"). The person reliability was 0.92. In general, the category functioning of the 5-point rating scale was working well. Dimensionality analysis revealed that the DASH-DLV is a unidimensional scale. Differential item functioning for sex was not detected, and only item 26 exhibited differential item functioning as a function for age.

CONCLUSION

The DASH-DLV fits the stringent Rasch model in a clinical situation with a group of adult patients with a humeral shaft fracture. Adequate measurement for scientific research can be obtained to evaluate longitudinal intervention research.

Improvement in sleep quality after total shoulder arthroplasty

Objective: Poor sleep quality due to nocturnal pain is increasingly reported as a major symptom in advanced glenohumeral arthritis. The current study aimed to evaluate preoperative and postoperative sleep quality, shoulder pain, and function in patients who underwent total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). Preoperative factors contributing to delayed improvements in sleep quality were examined.Methods: Patients scheduled for anatomic or reverse TSA due to glenohumeral arthritis were included. Patients completed the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) survey preoperatively, and at 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year following surgery. A higher PSQI score (maximum 21) indicated greater sleep disturbance.Results: Seventy-four patients (34 males, 40 females), with a mean age of 65.8 years were prospectively enrolled. Eighty-four percent of patients reported preoperative PSQI scores indicative of sleep disturbance (6 or greater), with a mean of 10.1 ± 4.3. The PSQI score significantly improved to 7.7 at 6 weeks (P = .003), and to 6.1 at 3 months (P = .08). At 12 months, the PSQI was within normal limits (less than or equal to 5) with a mean score of 4.3. A normal PSQI score was achieved by 40.8%, at 6 weeks, 50% at 3 months, 53.7% at 6 months, and 73.9% at 1 year. The ASES score significantly improved from 32.6 ± 17.2 at baseline to 58.4 at 6 weeks (p < .001), 76.1 at 3 months (p < .001), and 85.3 at 12 months. Linear regression demonstrated that the ASES and PSQI scores were negatively associated with each other at each time point. Body mass index and female gender were associated with a delayed return to baseline sleep quality.Conclusion: Shoulder-related sleep disturbance significantly improved at 6 weeks following TSA, and normalized for most patients by 1 year post-operatively. Enhanced sleep quality after TSA was directly related to improved functional outcomes.

Towards a Comprehensive Understanding of UA-ADRCs (Uncultured, Autologous, Fresh, Unmodified, Adipose Derived Regenerative Cells, Isolated at Point of Care) in Regenerative Medicine

It has become practically impossible to survey the literature on cells derived from adipose tissue for regenerative medicine. The aim of this paper is to provide a comprehensive and translational understanding of the potential of UA-ADRCs (uncultured, unmodified, fresh, autologous adipose derived regenerative cells isolated at the point of care) and its application in regenerative medicine. We provide profound basic and clinical evidence demonstrating that tissue regeneration with UA-ADRCs is safe and effective. ADRCs are neither 'fat stem cells' nor could they exclusively be isolated from adipose tissue. ADRCs contain the same adult stem cells ubiquitously present in the walls of blood vessels that are able to differentiate into cells of all three germ layers. Of note, the specific isolation procedure used has a significant impact on the number and viability of cells and hence on safety and efficacy of UA-ADRCs. Furthermore, there is no need to specifically isolate and separate stem cells from the initial mixture of progenitor and stem cells found in ADRCs. Most importantly, UA-ADRCs have the physiological capacity to adequately regenerate tissue without need for more than minimally manipulating, stimulating and/or (genetically) reprogramming the cells for a broad range of clinical applications. Tissue regeneration with UA-ADRCs fulfills the criteria of homologous use as defined by the regulatory authorities.

Safety and efficacy of treating symptomatic, partial-thickness rotator cuff tears with fresh, uncultured, unmodified, autologous adipose-derived regenerative cells (UA-ADRCs) isolated at the point of care: a prospective, randomized, controlled first-in-human pilot study

Background

This study tested the hypothesis that treatment of symptomatic, partial-thickness rotator cuff tears (sPTRCT) with fresh, uncultured, unmodified, autologous adipose-derived regenerative cells (UA-ADRCs) isolated from lipoaspirate at the point of care is safe and more effective than corticosteroid injection.

Methods

Subjects aged between 30 and 75 years with sPTRCT who did not respond to physical therapy treatments for at least 6 weeks were randomly assigned to receive a single injection of an average 11.4 × 10⁶ UA-ADRCs (in 5 mL liquid; mean cell viability: 88%) (n = 11; modified intention-to-treat (mITT) population) or a single injection of 80 mg of methylprednisolone (40 mg/mL; 2 mL) plus 3 mL of 0.25% bupivacaine (n = 5; mITT population), respectively. Safety and efficacy were assessed using the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form (ASES), RAND Short Form-36 Health Survey, and pain visual analogue scale (VAS) at baseline (BL) as well as 3 weeks (W3), W6, W9, W12, W24, W32, W40, and W52 post treatment. Fat-saturated T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging of the shoulder was performed at BL as well as at W24 and W52 post treatment.

Results

No severe adverse events related to the injection of UA-ADRCs were observed in the 12 months post treatment. The risks connected with treatment of sPTRCT with UA-ADRCs were not greater than those connected with treatment of sPTRCT with corticosteroid injection. However, one subject in the corticosteroid group developed a full rotator cuff tear during the course of this pilot study. Despite the small number of subjects in this pilot study, those in the UA-ADRCs group showed statistically significantly higher mean ASES total scores at W24 and W52 post treatment than those in the corticosteroid group (p < 0.05).

Discussion

This pilot study suggests that the use of UA-ADRCs in subjects with sPTRCT is safe and leads to improved shoulder function without adverse effects. To verify the results of this initial safety and feasibility pilot study in a larger patient population, a randomized controlled trial on 246 patients suffering from sPTRCT is currently ongoing.

Trial registration

Clinicaltrials.gov ID NCT02918136. Registered September 28, 2016, https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02918136.

Level of evidence

Level I; prospective, randomized, controlled trial.

Arthroscopic partial repair with versus without biodegradable subacromial spacer for patients with massive rotator cuff tears: a case-control study

BACKGROUND

To investigate whether arthroscopic partial repair with the additional use of a biodegradable subacromial spacer would be proven better treatment for irreparable massive rotator cuff tears (MRCT) compared to single arthroscopic partial repair.

METHODS

A matched-pairs case-control study of 32 patients suffering from irreparable MRCT who underwent an arthroscopic partial repair with (Group B: 16 patients) or without (Group A: 16 patients) InSpace Balloon (ISB^®; Orthospace, Caesarea, Israel) implantation was conducted. For the clinical and functional assessment of the patients, the visual analog scale, Constant score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Shoulder Score (ASES), Range of Motion (RoM), and patients' satisfaction were obtained.

RESULTS

The two groups were matched in all baseline demographic and clinical characteristics (n.s.). All mean final quantitative postoperative clinical and functional scores of group A (partial repair and ISB) and group B (single partial repair), as well as active RoM, were significantly improved (t test) in comparison with the mean preoperative values (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed between the two groups in relation to the two success rate criteria (ASES minimal clinically important difference or MCID > 17, Constant score MCID > 10.4), as well as pain relief and RoM 12 months after surgery.

CONCLUSION

Arthroscopic partial repair, either with or without ISB implantation, resulted in significantly improved clinical and functional short-term outcomes for the treatment of MRCT. Patients who were treated with combined partial repair and ISB implantation had a potential propensity toward better functional outcomes and higher patient satisfaction compared to the single-partial-repair-treated group. However, given that these differences were not significant, we feel that further studies are required to clarify the potential therapeutic value of ISB implantation in the treatment of irreparable MRCT.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level III.

CLINICAL TRIALS' REGISTRY

German Clinical Trials Register (WHO International Clinical Trials Registry Platform). ID number: DRKS00014725. Date of registration: 07/05/2018.

Platelet-rich Blood Derivatives for Tendon Regeneration

Tendon injuries constitute a significant healthcare problem with variable clinical outcomes. The complex interplay of tissue homeostasis, degeneration, repair, and regeneration makes the development of successful delivery therapeutic strategies challenging. Platelet-rich hemoderivatives, a source of supra-physiologic concentrations of human therapeutic factors, are a promising application to treat tendon injuries from the perspective of tendon tissue engineering, although the outcomes remain controversial.

Early outcomes and complications of obese patients undergoing shoulder arthroplasty: A meta-analysis

OBJECTIVE

The prevalence of obesity and shoulder arthroplasty have both been increasing in the United States. Although lower extremity arthroplasty literature suggests higher complication rates in these patients, there is a paucity of studies evaluating the outcome of shoulder arthroplasty in obese patients. Our purpose was to perform a meta-analysis to determine clinical outcomes and complications of these patients.

METHODS

Following the PRISMA guidelines, the MEDLINE (PubMed), Embase, and Ovid libraries were used to perform a comprehensive literature review to compare complications and outcomes following shoulder arthroplasty between obese and non-obese patients. Our initial search returned 143 publications. Our inclusion criteria included full-text reports, minimum follow-up of 1 year, minimum of 10 patients, no cadaveric or biomechanical studies, only studies published in English, studies involving obese patients undergoing either anatomic or reverse shoulder arthroplasty. A total of 13 studies met the inclusion criteria. These studies were then evaluating using a methodological index for non-randomized studies (MINORS) score. Ultimately, 6 studies met our criteria and were included in the final analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 978 patients were identified from the 6 studies. Patients with a BMI <30 kg/m² had a complication rate of 9.7% and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score (ASES) increased from 37.4 to 76.7. Patients with a BMI >30 kg/m² had a complications rate of 6.5% and ASES increased from 34.4 to 76.2. Patients with a BMI >40 kg/m² ASES increased from 29.5 to 68.6. The postoperative ASES score of 68.6 for patients with a BMI >40 kg/m² was significantly lower than the ASES score of 76.8 in patients with a BMI <40 kg/m² (p = 0.007). There were an insufficient number of patients and an insufficient number of complications to perform any meaningful statistical test on complication rates in patients with a BMI >40 kg/m².

CONCLUSION

No significant difference was observed in number of complications and follow-up ASES scores following shoulder arthroplasty between obese and non-obese patients. Morbidly obese patients (BMI > 40 kg/m²) have a significantly lower ASES follow-up score than non-morbidly obese patients; however, this difference may not be clinically significant. Future studies are needed to investigate outcomes and complications associated with morbidly obese patients undergoing shoulder arthroplasty.

Are Patients Who Undergo the Latarjet Procedure Ready to Return to Play at 6 Months? A Multicenter Orthopaedic Outcomes Network (MOON) Shoulder Group Cohort Study

BACKGROUND

The Latarjet procedure is growing in popularity for treating athletes with recurrent anterior shoulder instability, largely because of the high recurrence rate of arthroscopic stabilization, particularly among contact athletes with bone loss.

PURPOSE

(1) To evaluate return of strength and range of motion (ROM) 6 months after the Latarjet procedure and (2) to determine risk factors for failure to achieve return-to-play (RTP) criteria at 6 months.

STUDY DESIGN

Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS

A total of 65 athletes (83% contact sports, 37% overhead sports; mean ± SD age, 24.5 ± 8.2 years; 59 male, 6 female) who enrolled in a prospective multicenter study underwent the Latarjet procedure for anterior instability (29% as primary procedure for instability, 71% for failed prior stabilization procedure). Strength and ROM were assessed preoperatively and 6 months after surgery. RTP criteria were defined as return to baseline strength and <20° side-to-side ROM deficits in all planes. The independent likelihood of achieving strength and motion RTP criteria at 6 months was assessed through multivariate logistic regression modeling with adjustment as needed for age, sex, subscapularis split versus tenotomy, preoperative strength/motion, percentage bone loss, number of prior dislocations, preoperative subjective shoulder function (American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons and Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index percentage), and participation in contact versus overhead sports.

RESULTS

Of the patients, 55% failed to meet ≥1 RTP criteria: 6% failed for persistent weakness and 51% for ≥20° side-to-side loss of motion. There was no difference in failure to achieve RTP criteria at 6 months between subscapularis split (57%) versus tenotomy (47%) (P = .49). Independent risk factors for failure to achieve either strength or ROM criteria were preoperative American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores (per 10-point decrease: adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.61; 95% CI, 1.14-2.43; P = .006), Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index percentage (per 10% decrease: aOR, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.38-0.92; P = .01), and a preoperative side-to-side ROM deficit ≥20° in any plane (aOR, 5.01; 95% CI, 1.42-21.5; P = .01) or deficits in external rotation at 90° of abduction (per 10° increased deficit: aOR, 1.64; 95% CI, 1.06-2.88; P = .02).

CONCLUSION

A large percentage of athletes fail to achieve full strength and ROM 6 months after the Latarjet procedure. Greater preoperative stiffness and subjective disability are risk factors for failure to meet ROM or strength RTP criteria.

Evaluation of Deltoid Origin Status Following Open and Arthroscopic Repair of Large Rotator Cuff Tears: A Propensity-Matched Case-Control Study

Background

The purpose of this study was to evaluate and compare deltoid origin status following large rotator cuff repair carried out using either an open or an arthroscopic method with a propensity score matching technique.

Methods

A retrospective review of 112 patients treated for full-thickness, large rotator cuff tear via either a classic open repair (open group) or an arthroscopic repair (arthroscopic group) was conducted. All patients included in the study had undergone postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and clinical follow-up for at least 12 and 18 months after surgery, respectively. Propensity score matching was used to select controls matched for age, sex, body mass index, and affected site. There were 56 patients in each group, with a mean age of 63.3 years (range, 50-77 years). The postoperative functional and radiologic outcomes for both groups were compared. Radiologic evaluation for postoperative rotator cuff integrity and deltoid origin status was performed with 3-Tesla MRI.

Results

The deltoid origin thickness was significantly greater in the arthroscopic group when measured at the anterior acromion (P=0.006), anterior third (P=0.005), and middle third of the lateral border of the acromion level (P=0.005). The deltoid origin thickness at the posterior third of the lateral acromion was not significantly different between the arthroscopic and open groups. The arthroscopic group had significantly higher intact deltoid integrity with less scarring (P=0.04). There were no full-thickness deltoid tears in either the open or arthroscopic group.

Conclusions

Open rotator cuff repair resulted in a thinner deltoid origin, especially from the anterior acromion to the middle third of the lateral border of the acromion, at the 1-year postoperative MRI evaluation. Meticulous reattachment of the deltoid origin is as essential as rotator cuff repair when an open approach is selected.

Superior capsule reconstruction for irreparable rotator cuff tears: a systematic review of biomechanical and clinical outcomes by graft type

BACKGROUND

Superior capsular reconstruction (SCR) has recently been proposed as a surgical solution to the irreparable rotator cuff tear and has gained popularity because of promising early results. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to review the biomechanical and clinical outcomes in shoulders with this condition treated with SCR.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted following PRISMA guidelines using PubMed, EMBASE, and Cochrane databases. Studies were included if they reported biomechanical, radiographic, or clinical outcomes data after undergoing SCR in shoulders with irreparable rotator cuff tears. Studies were broken down into 3 categories: cadaveric biomechanical studies, autograft clinical outcome studies, and allograft clinical outcome studies. Biomechanical, radiographic, patient-reported, and functional outcomes data were recorded for each study.

RESULTS

Eight cadaveric biomechanical studies, 5 autograft clinical studies, and 4 allograft clinical studies met inclusion criteria. In biomechanical studies, subacromial contact pressure and superior humeral translation were decreased in most tested scenarios. An increase in American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) scores, forward elevation and external rotation values, and acromiohumeral distance (AHD) were found in all autograft clinical studies reporting. Allograft clinical studies reported increases in ASES scores, forward elevation values, and AHD but decreases in visual analog scale scores in all studies reporting.

CONCLUSIONS

SCR is emerging as a viable surgical option to address the irreparable rotator cuff tear. Biomechanical studies suggest that the humeral head-stabilizing effect of SCR appears to translate into improved clinical outcomes. Future research should focus on further defining the indications, limitations, and optimal technique.