Shoulder Arthroscopy With Versus Without Suprascapular Nerve Release: Clinical Outcomes and Return to Sport Rate in Elite Overhead Athletes.

PURPOSE: To compare the clinical outcomes and return to sport rate between elite overhead athletes who underwent shoulder arthroscopy and decompression of the suprascapular nerve (SSN) versus overhead athletes who underwent shoulder arthroscopy without SSN release. METHODS: From 2007 to 2014, high-level overhead athletes diagnosed with a rotator cuff tear and/or a glenoid labral lesion and SSN entrapment were included in the study if their symptoms did not improve with nonoperative treatment and if they agreed to undergo surgery and participate. Their preoperative University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder score, bilateral postoperative Constant scores, postoperative UCLA score, and return to sport rate were evaluated and compared with those of a group of elite athletes who had a similar diagnosis but refused to undergo SSN decompression during shoulder arthroscopy. RESULTS: Thirty-five athletes (25 male, 10 female) were included in the SSN decompression group (group 1), and 21 athletes were included in the non-SSN decompression group (group 2). The mean age was 27 years (range: 19-34) and 24 years (range: 21-32) in group 1 and group 2, respectively (P = .56). The mean follow-up time was 38.4 months (24-50 months) in group 1 and 42.2 months (26-53 months) in group 2 (P = .09). Both groups had significantly improved UCLA scores after surgery (P < .05). The postoperative UCLA (P = .01) and Constant scores (P < .001) were significantly higher in the SSN decompression group. The mean difference in Constant score between the affected and the unaffected side was 4 points (range: 2-12) in the SSN decompression group and 8 points (range: 4-14) in the non-SSN decompression group postoperatively (P = .0002). In both groups, 100% of patients reached the patient acceptable symptom state value for Constant score at follow-up. For the UCLA score, patients who underwent SSN decompression had significantly higher pre- to postoperative improvement than the nondecompression group (P = .016). The return to sport rate was 97% in group 1 and 84% in group 2. The mean length of career was 2.1 years (range: 1.5-2.4 years) and 2.3 years (range: 1.2-3.2 years) in group 1 and group 2, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: In elite overhead athletes with shoulder pathology and SSN entrapment, combined shoulder arthroscopy and SSN release yield superior clinical outcomes, greater improvement in UCLA score, and a higher return to sport rate than shoulder arthroscopy without SSN decompression. Regardless of SSN treatment, both groups achieved the patient acceptable symptom state after shoulder arthroscopy. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, comparative case series.

Aberrant accessory abductor digiti minimi manus muscle: a rare anatomical variation.

The hypothenar muscle with the greatest frequency of variations is the abductor digiti minimi manus. Except for morphological variations of this muscle, have also been reported cases of an extra wrist muscle, the accessory abductor digiti minimi manus muscle. This case report presents a rare case of an accessory abductor digiti minimi muscle characterized by an unusual origin from the tendons of the flexor digitorum superficialis. This anatomical variation was identified on a formalin - fixed male cadaver of Greek origin during routine dissection. This anatomical variation, which may result in Guyon's canal syndrome or complicate common wrist and hand surgical procedures such as the carpal tunnel release, should be known to orthopaedic surgeons and hand surgeons in particular.