Functional results of bilateral reverse total shoulder arthroplasty.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to analyze a population of patients with bilateral reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) to evaluate their ability to perform activities of daily living and personal hygiene tasks. METHODS: At a minimum 2-year follow-up, we retrospectively reviewed 50 patients (100 shoulders) with a mean age of 72 years who underwent staged bilateral RTSA. The average follow-up period was 61 months (range, 24-121 months), with a minimum 2-year follow-up after the second surgical procedure. Functional outcomes were assessed with American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, Simple Shoulder Test, and Short Form 12 (SF-12) scores. In addition, a unique questionnaire regarding personal hygiene habits and activities of daily living reliant on shoulder rotation was administered to all patients. RESULTS: Patients showed significant improvements in pain (mean improvement in visual analog scale score from 5.7 to 1.0, P < .001) and forward elevation (mean improvement from 71° to 136°, P < .001). Clinical outcome scores showed significant improvements: The mean American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score improved from 35.8 to 76.5 (P < .001), Simple Shoulder Test score improved from 2.4 to 8.0 (P < .001), SF-12 mental component subscore improved from 51.9 to 54.1 (P < .001), and SF-12 physical component subscore improved from 30.5 to 39.7 (P < .001). Internal and external rotation showed significant improvements (from 33° to 53° [P < .005] and from 27° to 44° [P < .001], respectively). All patients retained independence with personal hygiene and activities of daily living. Complications included prosthetic instability (3%), acromial fracture (5%), and periprosthetic joint infection (1%). The overall reoperation rate was 5%. CONCLUSIONS: Bilateral RTSA provides predictable pain relief and improved function. Hygiene practices are unaltered for most patients, and the other patients rapidly develop simple compensatory strategies and retain independence in activities of daily living.

How does pelvic rotation or tilt affect radiographic measurement of acetabular component inclination angle during THA?

BACKGROUND: It is unclear how radiographic measurements of cup position are sensitive to deviations from a perfect AP pelvis image. PURPOSE: To quantify changes in radiographic measurements of cup abduction angle due to pelvic tilt or obliquity. METHODS: Part A, a retrospective comparison of radiographic cup abduction angle measurements from intraoperative and post-operative radiographs of 23 patients undergoing THA. Part B, a pelvic sawbones model was used to quantify changes in radiographic measurement of cup abduction angle due to known changes in pelvic tilt or obliquity. RESULTS: Part A, a perfect AP pelvis was obtained in just 30% of intraoperative radiographs. The mean intraoperative cup angle measurement was underestimated by 3.4° compared to post-operative standard radiographs. In Part B, pelvic tilt caused cup abduction angle measurement to decrease on inlet view and increase on outlet view. Pelvic obliquity caused cup abduction angle measurement to decrease on obturator oblique view and increase on iliac oblique view. CONCLUSIONS: A trend exists toward slight underestimation of cup abduction angle measurement using intraoperative radiographs. Pelvic tilt or obliquity alters the measured cup abduction angle in known directions.

Disorders of the long head of the biceps tendon.

The functional importance of the long head of the biceps tendon is a source of debate. Despite the controversy concerning its functional role, the long head of the biceps tendon is a recognized pain generator in the shoulder. Because long head of the biceps tendinopathy is commonly associated with other shoulder pathologies, a thorough assessment and examination are critical to making the correct diagnosis and choosing a management plan. If nonsurgical treatment has failed, biceps tenotomy and biceps tenodesis can provide pain relief. Biceps tenodesis is reserved for young, higher demand patients; requires more rehabilitation time; and has a higher cost. All-arthroscopic proximal tenodesis and distal open subpectoral tenodesis have advantages and disadvantages. Although recent midterm reports suggest slightly better revision and complication rates with subpectoral tenodesis, more studies are needed to verify these findings. Persistent shoulder symptoms after biceps tenodesis commonly occur secondary to missed or untreated associated shoulder pathologies but also may result from mechanical failure of the tenodesis.

A comprehensive analysis of pectoralis major transfer for long thoracic nerve palsy.

BACKGROUND: In the treatment of long thoracic nerve palsy with pectoralis major transfer, it remains unknown whether direct transfer of the pectoralis to the scapula or indirect transfer with an interpositional graft provides superior outcomes. METHODS: A 3-tiered study was performed to gain a comprehensive understanding. (1) A survey of the membership of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) was conducted to reach a Level V consensus. (2) A systematic review was conducted to identify all series evaluating direct and indirect transfer of the pectoralis major tendon to create a Level IV consensus. (3) A retrospective review was performed to provide Level III evidence. RESULTS: (1) Surgeons were evenly split between whole and split tendon transfers, direct and indirect transfers, and graft types. More experienced surgeons were more likely to prefer an indirect transfer. (2) Analysis of 10 Level IV studies (131 shoulders) revealed that patients who underwent indirect transfer were significantly more likely to develop recurrent winging (P = .009) and had lower active forward elevation (P < .001) and ASES scores (P = .0016). (3) Twenty-four patients were included in our retrospective review with a mean follow-up of 4.3 years (77% follow-up), of whom 14 underwent indirect transfer and 10 underwent direct transfer. There were no significant differences in recurrence of winging, range of motion, or ASES scores. CONCLUSIONS: Level V and III evidence suggests that there is no functional difference between direct and indirect transfer. Level IV evidence must be interpreted with caution.

Treatment of glenoid chondral defect using micronized allogeneic cartilage matrix implantation.

Focal chondral lesions of the glenohumeral joint, though less common than chondral defects in the knee or ankle, can be a significant source of pain in an active population. For patients in whom nonsurgical management fails, promising results have been reported after arthroscopic microfracture surgery to treat such lesions. However, microfracture leads to growth of fibrocartilage tissue and is biomechanically less durable than native hyaline cartilage. Recently, augmentation of the microfractured defect with micronized allogeneic cartilage and platelet-rich plasma has been described to restore hyaline-like cartilage and potentially protect the subchondral bone from postsurgical fracture biology within the base of the defect. We present a simple arthroscopic technique of implanting dehydrated, micronized allogeneic cartilage scaffold to treat an isolated chondral lesion of the glenoid.