The effect of intravenous tranexamic acid on visual clarity in arthroscopic shoulder surgery compared to epinephrine and a placebo: a double-blinded, randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: The addition of epinephrine in irrigation fluid and the intravenous or local administration of tranexamic acid have independently been reported to decrease bleeding, thereby improving surgeons' visualization during arthroscopic shoulder procedures. No study has compared the effect of intravenous tranexamic acid, epinephrine in the irrigation fluid, or the combination of both tranexamic acid and epinephrine on visual clarity during shoulder arthroscopy with a placebo group. We hypothesized that intravenous tranexamic acid is more effective than epinephrine mixed in the irrigation fluid in improving visualization during shoulder arthroscopy, with no additive effect when both are used. METHODS: Patients aged ≥18 years undergoing shoulder arthroscopy were randomized into one of 4 study arms: (1) saline irrigation fluid (placebo); (2) epinephrine (0.33 mL of 1:1000 per liter) mixed in irrigation fluid (EPI); (3) 1 g intravenous tranexamic acid (TXA); and (4) epinephrine and tranexamic acid combined (TXA + EPI). Visualization was rated intraoperatively on a scale from 0, indicating poor clarity, to 3, indicating excellent clarity, every 15 minutes and overall. The primary outcome measure was the overall rating of visualization. A stepwise linear regression was performed using visualization as the dependent variable and independent variables including presence or absence of epinephrine and tranexamic acid, surgery duration, complexity, mean arterial pressure, increase in pump pressure, and volume of irrigation fluid. RESULTS: One hundred twenty-eight patients (mean age 56 years) were randomized. Mean visual clarity for the placebo, TXA, EPI, and TXA + EPI groups were 2.0 (±0.6), 2.0 (±0.6), 2.6 (±0.5), and 2.7 (±0.5), respectively (P < .001). The presence or absence of epinephrine was the most significant predictor of visual clarity (P < .001). Tranexamic acid presence or absence had no effect. No adverse events were recorded in any of the groups. CONCLUSION: Intravenous tranexamic acid is not an effective alternative to epinephrine in irrigation fluid to improve visualization during routine arthroscopic shoulder surgeries, and there is no additive effect when both are used.

Early postoperative recovery comparisons of superior capsule reconstruction to tendon transfers.

BACKGROUND: The management of massive posterosuperior rotator cuff tears is controversial, with no gold standard. Two recently developed techniques that have shown promising initial results include arthroscopic superior capsular reconstruction (SCR) and tendon transfers (latissimus or lower trapezius). However, there remains a scarcity of studies examining each procedure's early postoperative clinical outcomes individually or in comparison to each other. The purpose of this study is to compare the early postoperative recovery outcomes of tendon transfers (TTs) to SCR. METHODS: Using the surgical outcomes system global database (Arthrex Inc.), we assessed the postoperative recovery outcomes for all patients who had outcomes recorded at least 6 months after SCR or TT. The time points analyzed included preoperative and postoperative (2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, 2 years). The outcomes analyzed included pain visual analog scale (VAS) score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form (ASES) score, VR-12 physical, and Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE). RESULTS: Overall, 163 patients underwent SCR and 24 arthroscopically assisted TT. The mean age for SCR and TT was 60 and 56 years, respectively. Postoperative recovery curves demonstrate that both procedures produced improved outcomes at each postoperative time point compared to preoperative. The pain and functional outcomes measures, including VAS, ASES, SANE, and VR-12 physical, were comparable for TT and SCRs, with similar recovery curves between the 2 techniques. Ultimately at 2 years postoperatively, there were no significant differences between the 2 techniques. CONCLUSIONS: Analysis of the early outcomes associated with arthroscopic treatment of massive posterosuperior rotator cuff tears demonstrated that the arthroscopically assisted tendon transfers and arthroscopic superior capsular reconstruction had similar pain and functional outcomes throughout the 2-year postoperative recovery period. Overall, the process of recovery appears equivalent between the 2 techniques. Future studies are needed to assess the outcomes of each technique and specific indications in an attempt to delineate an algorithm for the treatment of irreparable rotator cuff tears.

Postoperative recovery comparisons of arthroscopic Bankart to open Latarjet for the treatment of anterior glenohumeral instability.

BACKGROUND: Recurrent anterior glenohumeral instability is a disabling pathology that can be successfully treated by arthroscopic Bankart repair or open Latarjet. However, there is a paucity of studies comparing the postoperative recovery. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the postoperative pain and functional recovery following arthroscopic Bankart versus open Latarjet. METHODS: This is a retrospective analysis of a multicenter prospective outcomes registry database. Postoperative recovery outcomes of either a primary or revision arthroscopic Bankart and open Latarjet procedures were compared. A minimum of 1-year follow-up was required. Outcomes measures included pain visual analog scale (VAS), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) function score, ASES index score, and single assessment numeric evaluation (SANE) score. Overall, 787 patients underwent primary arthroscopic Bankart, 36 underwent revision arthroscopic Bankart and 75 underwent an open Latarjet procedure. RESULTS: When compared to primary arthroscopic Bankart, open Latarjet demonstrated significantly lower VAS scores at 6 weeks (p = 0.03), 3 months (p = 0.01), and 2 years (p < 0.05). Medium-term outcomes for ASES scores and SANE score, at 1 and 2 years showed no difference. Latarjet demonstrated significantly lower (p < 0.05) preoperative early postoperative VAS pain scores with no difference at 1 year or 2 years when compared to primary Bankart. There was no difference in ASES function or index between Bankart and Latarjet. Revision Bankart provided inferior outcomes for VAS, ASES function, and ASES index when compared to primary Bankart and Latarjet at 1 year and 2 years. CONCLUSIONS: Primary arthroscopic Bankart repair and open Latarjet provided nearly equivalent improvements in pain (VAS) and functional outcomes (ASES, SANE, VR-12) during the early recovery phase (2 years). This study supports the use of either procedure in the primary treatment of anterior glenohumeral instability. Revision arthroscopic Bankart repair demonstrated deteriorating outcomes at 1 and 2 years postoperatively.

Nonoperative Management of Posterior Shoulder Instability: What Are the Long-Term Clinical Outcomes?

OBJECTIVE: To report the injury characteristics, radiographic findings, and long-term outcomes of nonoperative management for posterior shoulder instability (PSI). DESIGN: A retrospective review of 143 patients with PSI using a large geographic database. SETTING: Single county between January 1994 and July 2012. PATIENTS: A clinical history and diagnosis of PSI, one confirmatory imaging study to support the diagnosis, and a minimum of 5 years follow-up were required for inclusion. Patients with seizure disorders, anterior-only instability, multidirectional instability, and superior labrum from anterior to posterior diagnosis were excluded. INTERVENTIONS: Patients with PSI were managed nonoperatively or operatively. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Pain, recurrent instability, and progression into glenohumeral osteoarthritis at long-term follow-up. RESULTS: One hundred fifteen patients were identified. Thirty-seven (32%) underwent nonoperative management. Twenty (54%) patients were diagnosed with posterior subluxation, 3 (8%) with a single dislocation, and 7 (19%) with multiple dislocations. Symptomatic progression of glenohumeral arthritis was observed in 8% (3) of patients. Pain improved in 46% (17) of patients and worsened in 19% (7). Recurrent instability and progression to osteoarthritis occurred in 15% (3/20) of patients with a traumatic instability event compared with 0% of atraumatic patients after nonoperative management (P = 0.234). Pain at follow-up was more common in nonoperative than operative patients (P = 0.017). CONCLUSIONS: Nonoperative management is a viable option for many patients with posterior shoulder instability; however, many may continue to have posterior shoulder pain.

Clinical outcomes of latissimus dorsi tendon transfer and superior capsular reconstruction for irreparable rotator cuff tears: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: Functionally irreparable rotator cuff tears (FIRCTs) present an ongoing challenge to the orthopedic surgeon. The aim of this systematic review was to critically compare the outcomes of three latissimus dorsi tendon transfer (LDT) techniques and two superior capsular reconstruction (SCR) techniques in treatment of FIRCTs. METHODS: A systematic review of studies evaluating the outcome of FIRCT treatment was performed via a search of four databases in April 2020. Each included study was reviewed in duplicate by two reviewers for evaluation of methodological quality. The treatments analyzed were arthroscopic LDT (aLDT), open LDT Gerber technique (oLDTG), open LDT L'Episcopo technique (oLDTL), SCR with allograft (SCR-Allo), and SCR with autograft (SCR-TFL). Demographics, range of motion, patient-reported outcome measures, radiographic acromiohumeral distance (AHD), treatment failures, and revisions were recorded. RESULTS: Forty-six studies (1287 shoulders) met criteria for inclusion. Twenty-three studies involved open latissimus transfer, with 445 shoulders undergoing oLDTG with mean follow-up of 63.2 months and 60 patients undergoing oLDTL with mean follow-up of 51.8 months. Ten studies (n = 369, F/U 29.2mo) reported on aLDT. Seven studies (n = 253, F/U 16.9mo) concerned SCR-Allo, and six studies (n = 160, F/U 32.mo) reported on SCR-TFL. Range of motion and subjective outcome scores improved in all techniques with no differences across treatments. Both SCR methods provided greater improvement in AHD than open LDT methods (p < 0.01). The re-tear rates were lower in both oLDT groups compared to the SCR groups (p = 0.03). Clinical failure rates were higher in the SCR-Allo and oLDTG groups, while overall treatment failures were lowest in oLDTL compared to all four other groups. CONCLUSION: SCR techniques were associated with improved short-term radiographic acromiohumeral distance, while the open LDT techniques had lower tendon re-tear and treatment failure rates. All techniques resulted in improved clinical outcomes and pain relief compared to preoperative levels with no differences across techniques. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: Systematic review of case series and cohort studies.

Complications of Superior Capsule Reconstruction for the Treatment of Functionally Irreparable Rotator Cuff Tears: A Systematic Review.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this systematic review is to characterize the complications associated with superior capsule reconstruction (SCR) for the treatment of functionally irreparable rotator cuff tears (FIRCTs). METHODS: This systematic review was completed in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses. Two independent reviewers completed a search of PubMed, Embase, and Medline databases. Studies were deemed eligible for inclusion if they reported postoperative outcomes of arthroscopic SCR for FIRCTs and considered at least 1 postoperative complication. Statistical heterogeneity was quantified via the I2 statistic. Due to marked heterogeneity, pooled proportions were not reported. All complications and patient-reported outcomes were described qualitatively. RESULTS: Fourteen studies met the inclusion/exclusion criteria. The overall complication rate post-SCR ranged from 5.0% to 70.0% (I2 = 84.9%). Image-verified graft retear ranged from 8% to 70%, I2 = 79.4%), with higher rates reported when SCR was performed using allograft (19%-70%, I2 76.6%) compared to autograft (8%-29%, I2 = 66.1%). Reoperation (0%-36%, I2 = 73.4%), revision surgeries (0%-21%, I2 = 81.2%), medical complications (0%-5%, I2 = 0.0%), and infections (0%-5%, I2 = 0.0%) were also calculated. CONCLUSIONS: SCR carries a distinct complication profile when used for the treatment of FIRCTs. The overall rate of complications ranged from 5.0% to 70.0%. The most common complication is graft retear with higher ranges in allografts (19%-70%) compared to autografts (8%-29%). The majority of studies reported at least 1 reoperation (range, 0%-36%), most commonly for revision to reverse shoulder arthroplasty. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, systematic review of Level IV or better investigations.

Platelet-Rich Plasma in Patients With Partial-Thickness Rotator Cuff Tears or Tendinopathy Leads to Significantly Improved Short-Term Pain Relief and Function Compared With Corticosteroid Injection: A Double-Blind Randomized Controlled Trial.

PURPOSE: To perform a randomized controlled trial comparing platelet-rich plasma (PRP) with standard corticosteroid (CS) injection in providing pain relief and improved function in patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy and partial-thickness rotator cuff tears (PTRCTs). METHODS: This double-blind randomized controlled trial enrolled patients with ultrasound-proven or magnetic resonance imaging-proven PTRCTs who received either an ultrasound-guided PRP or CS injection. Patients completed patient-reported outcome assessments at baseline and at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 12 months after injection. The primary outcome was improvement in the visual analog scale (VAS) score for pain. Secondary outcomes included changes in American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) and Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index (WORC) scores. Treatment failure was defined as subsequent injection, consent to undergo surgery, or operative intervention. RESULTS: We followed up 99 patients (47 in the PRP group and 52 in the CS group) until 12 months after injection. There were no differences in baseline patient demographic characteristics including age, sex, or duration of symptoms. Despite randomization, patients in the PRP group had worse baseline VAS (46.0 vs 34.7, P = .01), ASES (53.9 vs 61.8, P = .02), and WORC (42.2 vs 49.5, P = .03) scores. At 3 months after injection, the PRP group had superior improvement in VAS (-13.6 vs 0.4, P = .03), ASES (13.0 vs 2.9, P = .02), and WORC (16.8 vs 5.8, P = .03) scores. There were no differences in patient-reported outcomes at 6 weeks or 12 months. There was no difference in the rate of failure (P = .31) or conversion to surgery (P = .83) between groups. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with PTRCTs or tendinopathy experienced clinical improvement in pain and patient-reported outcome scores after both ultrasound-guided CS and PRP injections. Patients who received PRP obtained superior improvement in pain and function at short-term follow-up (3 months). There was no sustained benefit of PRP over CS at longer-term follow-up (12 months). LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level I, randomized controlled trial.

Needle Diagnostic Arthroscopy and Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Shoulder Have Comparable Accuracy With Surgical Arthroscopy: A Prospective Clinical Trial.

PURPOSE: To examine the accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of a minimally invasive needle arthroscopy device and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) compared with diagnostic arthroscopy, the gold standard in diagnosing intra-articular shoulder pathologies. METHODS: This was a prospective, blinded clinical trial over 6 months on 50 patients with shoulder pathology requiring arthroscopy. Patients were eligible if they had an MRI and consented for surgical arthroscopy. Patients were excluded if they didn't consent. Each underwent a clinical evaluation, MRI, needle arthroscopy, and surgical arthroscopy. Videos and images were blindly reviewed postoperatively. Analysis included sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value, Cohen's kappa agreement coefficient, and the McNemar test. RESULTS: Needle arthroscopy had similar accuracy to MRI in diagnosing intra-articular shoulder pathologies when both were compared with the gold standard of diagnostic arthroscopy. It had high specificities and PPV for certain rotator cuff tears, biceps pathology, and anterior labral tears. When compared with the gold standard, specificity of needle arthroscopy for diagnosing rotator cuff tear and cartilage lesions was 1.00 and 0.97 and 0.72 and 0.86 for MRIs, respectively. Sensitivity of needle arthroscopy for rotator cuff and cartilage lesions was 0.89 and 0.74, respectively, lower than MRI. For most intra-articular pathologies, needle arthroscopy was at least equally accurate to MRI at diagnosing intra-articular shoulder pathologies, with similar or high kappa statistics when correlated with surgical arthroscopic findings. CONCLUSIONS: Needle arthroscopy is a promising diagnostic modality for intra-articular shoulder pathologies. It had comparable accuracy with MRI for diagnosing articular cartilage, labrum, rotator cuff, and biceps pathology. Across all pathologies, needle arthroscopy had better ability to "rule in" a diagnosis (high specificities and PPV), but slightly worse ability to "rule out" a diagnosis (lower sensitivities and negative predictive value) compared with MRI. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level II, Development of diagnostic criteria on consecutive patients (with universally applied reference "gold" standard).

Neuroapraxia and early complications after reverse shoulder arthroplasty with glenoid bone grafting.

BACKGROUND: Bone grafting during primary reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) is a technique used to restore poor glenoid bone, increase lateralization, and restore abnormal inclination or version. The purpose of this article is to analyze early outcomes of bone grafting during RSA, assessing the influence of technical and patient considerations. METHODS: In a 4.5-year time period, 137 RSAs with glenoid bone grafting were performed with a minimum 3 months' follow-up. The mean follow-up was 17 months (range, 3-38). The mean age was 71 years (range, 45-89), and body mass index was 28 (range, 19-44). The source of the autografts were humeral head (n = 113) and iliac crest autograft (ICBG; n = 24). The humeral components included 84 onlay and 53 inlay designs. RESULTS: Overall, there were 16 complications (12%), of which 6 were major (5%) (3 graft nonunions and 3 infections) and 10 minor (8%) (1 carpal tunnel syndrome and 9 transient axillary neuropraxias). Of the 9 axillary neuropraxias, 8 resolved by the most recent follow-up, whereas 1 patient was lost to follow-up. There were 4 reoperations (3%): 2 for glenoid baseplate loosening, 1 for severe notching associated with severe glenoid bone loss, and 1 for deep periprosthetic infection. One additional patient had a baseplate failure and is undergoing further treatment. There was no difference in the occurrence of graft nonunions, revision surgery, or glenoid component loosening when comparing type of graft or humeral component used. There was an association of revision surgery (P = .02) with ICBG and older age at the time of surgery (P = .02) and an association of transient neuroapraxia with onlay humeral components (P = .01) and workers' compensation cases (P = .04). CONCLUSIONS: There is a high union rate and low complication rate after bone grafting of the glenoid performed with RSA. Transient neuropraxias are the most frequent complication, but the majority resolve within the first postoperative year. These early findings can serve as the basis for future long-term, comprehensive analysis of complications and outcomes after bone grafting during RSA.

Effect of age, gender, and body mass index on incidence and satisfaction of a Popeye deformity following biceps tenotomy or tenodesis: secondary analysis of a randomized clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of Popeye deformity following biceps tenotomy vs. tenodesis and evaluate risk factors and subjective and objective outcomes. METHODS: Data for this study were collected as part of a randomized clinical trial in which patients aged ≥18 years undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery for a long head of the biceps tendon lesion were allocated to undergo tenotomy or tenodesis. The primary outcome measure for this secondary analysis was rate of Popeye deformity at 24 months postoperation as determined by an evaluator blinded to group allocation. Those with a deformity indicated their satisfaction with the appearance of their arm on a 10-cm visual analog scale, rated their pain and cramping, and completed the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form and the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff index. Isometric elbow flexion and supination strength were also measured. Cohen kappa was calculated to measure inter-rater reliability between patient and evaluator on the presence of a deformity. Logistic regression was performed to identify predictors of presence or absence of a Popeye deformity. RESULTS: One hundred fourteen patients were randomly assigned to 2 groups, of which 42 to the tenodesis group and 45 to the tenotomy group completed a 24-month follow-up. Based on clinical observation, the odds of a Popeye in the tenotomy group were 4.3 times greater than in the tenodesis group (P = .018) with incidence of 33% (15/45) and 9.5% (4/42), respectively. Surgical technique was the only significant predictor of perceived deformity, with male gender trending toward significance (odds ratio 7.33, 95% confidence interval 0.867-61.906, P = .067). Mean (standard deviation) satisfaction score of those with a deformity regarding appearance of their arm was 7.3 (2.6). Increasing satisfaction was correlated with increasing age (r = 0.640, P = .025), but there was no association with gender (r = -0.155, P = .527) or body mass index (r = -0.221, P = .057). Differences in subjective outcomes were dependent on whether the Popeye was clinician- or self-assessed. CONCLUSION: The odds of developing a perceived Popeye deformity was 4.3 higher after tenotomy compared to tenodesis based on clinician observation. Male gender was trending toward being predictive of having a deformity. Pain and cramping were increased in those with a self-reported Popeye. Younger patients were significantly less satisfied with a deformity despite no difference in functional outcomes at 24 months. Thus, biceps tenodesis may be favored in younger male patients to minimize the risk of Popeye and the risk of dissatisfaction in the appearance of their arm following surgery.

Capsular release following total shoulder arthroplasty: an analysis of early outcomes.

BACKGROUND: The purpose of this study is to analyze the outcomes of open and arthroscopic capsular release following total shoulder arthroplasty. METHODS: Over 15 years, 19 patients experienced persistent shoulder stiffness after anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty refractory to nonoperative treatment, requiring either open (n = 5) or arthroscopic (n = 14) capsular release. There were seven (39%) patients who had a prior diagnosis of stiffness before the primary arthroplasty. RESULTS: At a follow-up of 2.3 years (1-5.5), there were changes in range of motion, including forward flexion (77°-117°), abduction (49°-98°), external rotation (9°-19°), internal rotation at 0° (Sacrum to L1), and pain (4.1-2.3) scores (p < 0.01). There were seven (37%) patients that required a reoperation following the initial capsular release. The survival-free of reoperation at 2 and 5 years was 76% and 53%, respectively, while the survival-free of revision surgery at 2 and 5 years was 83%. Furthermore, three (16%) patients required a repeat capsular release. Overall, there were 11 (58%) complications, including stiffness (n = 9), infection (n = 1), subscapularis rupture (n = 2), glenoid loosening (n = 3), and pain with weakness requiring reoperation (n = 1). CONCLUSIONS: Shoulder stiffness after total shoulder arthroplasty is a very difficult pathology to treat, with high rates of complications and reoperations after capsular release. Overall, in patients that do not develop glenoid loosening, capsular release does improve the patient's pain and shoulder motion. Furthermore, when patients develop stiffness, it is critical to rule out other etiologies, such as glenoid loosening, prior to proceeding with capsular release. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE IV: Retrospective case series.

The impact of workers' compensation on recovery after biceps tenodesis.

BACKGROUND: There remains a paucity of studies examining the impact of workers' compensation (WC) on a variety of outcomes after biceps tenodesis. The purpose of this study was to compare the postoperative recovery curves after biceps tenodesis in patients with and without WC claims. METHODS: Using the Surgical Outcomes System database, we assessed the postoperative recovery outcomes of all patients who had outcomes recorded at least 6 months after isolated biceps tenodesis for the treatment of a diagnosis of biceps tendinitis, stratified by WC status. The outcomes analyzed included visual analog scale, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, VR-12 (Veterans RAND 12 Item Health Survey) mental and physical, Simple Shoulder Test, and Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation scores. RESULTS: Overall, 139 patients with WC claims underwent isolated biceps tenodesis vs. 786 patients without WC claims. Demographic characteristics and comorbidities were similar in the 2 groups. Patients without WC claims had significantly improved visual analog scale, VR-12, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation, and Simple Shoulder Test scores at all times points after 3 months and 1 year compared with patients with WC claims. CONCLUSIONS: On analysis of patients' recovery after isolated biceps tenodesis, WC claims led to significantly worse pain and functional outcomes at every time point of analysis (3, 6, 12, and 24 months). Furthermore, patients with WC claims had worse preoperative-to-postoperative improvements in most outcomes. This information can be used to educate surgeons and patients on postoperative expectations, as well as to perform analyses focused on health economics, value, and policy.

Editorial Commentary: Anterior Capsular Reconstruction for Subscapularis Deficiency: The Definitive Treatment or a Helpful Adjunct?

Anterior glenohumeral instability in the setting of irreparable subscapularis deficiency represents a difficult clinical scenario for the treating shoulder surgeon. Anterior capsular reconstruction with humeral dermal allograft improved glenohumeral translation stability and range of motion to near-normal values whereas pectoralis major tendon transfer was unable to do so. However, placement of a static spacer does not restore the dynamic force couple or shoulder kinematics. Further research is needed to evaluate the functional outcomes using this reconstruction technique.

Nonoperative Management of Posterior Shoulder Instability: An Assessment of Survival and Predictors for Conversion to Surgery at 1 to 10 Years After Diagnosis.

PURPOSE: To (1) define the rate of delayed surgery, between 1 and 10 years after injury, in a population-based study of patients with posterior shoulder instability (PSI), (2) evaluate predictive factors associated with delayed repair, and (3) identify differences between the nonoperative and operative groups at long-term follow-up. METHODS: A population-based retrospectively reviewed study of all patients with PSI from January 1, 1994, to December 31, 2015, was performed. Inclusion required a clinical diagnosis of PSI combined with supporting imaging. Complete medical records were reviewed for 2,091 potential cases. Kaplan-Meier estimates were used to calculate survival. Landmark survival analysis was performed to identify predictors of conversion to surgery. RESULTS: The study included 143 patients with PSI, 79 of whom were managed nonoperatively for at least 1 year after diagnosis. After the first year, survival free of surgery was 78.3% at 1 year, 63.1% at 5 years, and 51.5% at 10 years. There was a trend toward increased surgery in patients with a body mass index > 35 (P = .10; hazard ratio = 2.32; confidence interval, 0.8-6.8). Nonthrowing athletes (including contact/weight-lifting athletes) showed a trend toward an increased risk for surgery (P = .07). Patients who underwent surgery were significantly more likely to have progression in arthritis (P = .02; hazard ratio = 4.0; confidence interval, 1.2-13.2). CONCLUSIONS: Nonoperative management was performed for at least 1 year in over half of patients diagnosed with PSI. Overall, long-term follow-up demonstrates that 46% of these patients converted to surgery between 1 and 10 years after initial diagnosis. Ultimately, 70% of patients diagnosed with PSI go on to surgical intervention. Patients who underwent surgery at any time point were at an increased risk of radiographic progression of arthritis at a minimum of 5 years of follow-up. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, cohort study.

Incidence of posterior shoulder instability and trends in surgical reconstruction: a 22-year population-based study.

BACKGROUND: The incidence of posterior shoulder instability (PSI) in the general population is not well defined. This study aimed to define the population-based incidence of PSI and describe trends in incidence and surgery rates. METHODS: The study population included 143 patients (16 females, 127 males) diagnosed with new-onset PSI between January 1, 1994, and December 31, 2015. Medical records were reviewed to extract patient data. Age- and sex-specific incidence rates were calculated and adjusted to the 2010 United States population. Poisson regression was performed to examine trends by timeline, sex, and age. RESULTS: Age- and sex- adjusted annual incidence of PSI was 4.64 per 100,000 person-years, and posterior dislocation was 1.30 per 100,000 person-years. Peak PSI incidence for males and females was at 14 to 19 years (31.82 and 5.23 per 100,000 person-years). PSI incidence was higher in males than females (8.86 vs. 1.07 per 100,000 person-years, P < .001). The 5-year cumulative risk of surgery for patients with PSI was 53.1% between 1996 and 2002, 59.9% between 2003 and 2008, and 87.5% between 2009 and 2015. Patients with PSI between 2009 and 2015 had a significantly increased rate of surgery (hazard ratio, 2.2; 95% confidence interval, 1.4-3.6; P = .001) compared with those between 1996 and 2002. CONCLUSION: The age- and sex- adjusted incidence of PSI in the general population was 4.64 per 100,000 person-years. There is a significantly greater incidence of PSI in males than females, with both sexes peaking at 14 to 19 years and incidence rates remaining elevated throughout the third and fourth decades of life. The incidence of PSI remained stable over time; however, the rate of surgical intervention increased significantly, from 53.1% of patients between 1996 and 2002 to 87.5% of patients between 2009 and 2015.

Superior capsule reconstruction using dermal allograft: early outcomes and survival.

BACKGROUND: Superior capsule reconstruction (SCR) has shown promising outcomes in its initial description, but lacks additional reports analyzing outcomes. This study analyzes early outcomes of SCRs in patients with massive irreparable rotator cuff tears. METHODS: A retrospective analysis of all SCRs at our institution from January 1, 2015, to August 31, 2017, was performed with a minimum 6-months follow-up. A total of 34 patients were included with a mean age of 60 years. SCR was performed by 1 of 6 fellowship trained surgeons. RESULTS: At an average follow-up of 12 months, 22 patients were identified as failures after modified Neer classification. Furthermore, 8 of these patients have undergone a reoperation, whereas an additional 14 patients were considered clinical failures experiencing continued pain and a lack of shoulder function. Of note, 2 of the 3 patients with a subscapularis tear had a failure. In addition, revision cases, female gender, increased fatty infiltration in the infraspinatus and low surgeon volume were associated with a higher rate of failure. There was no significant improvement in range of motion or functional scores. CONCLUSION: SCR performed for large-to-massive irreparable rotator cuff tears has a high rate of persistent pain and poor function leading to clinical failure in 65% of patients. Risk factors predicting clinical failure included revision cases, female gender, increased Goutallier fatty infiltration of the infraspinatus, and low surgeon volume (n ≤ 10).

The impact of the reverse prosthesis on revision shoulder arthroplasty: analysis of a high-volume shoulder practice.

BACKGROUND: Since the approval of reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) in 2004, the use of shoulder arthroplasty increased dramatically. Although the success of RSA in the revision setting has been demonstrated, there remains a paucity of studies examining the epidemiology of RSA in revision arthroplasty. This study describes trends of revision arthroplasty during the "era of the reverse," from 2005 through 2016. METHODS: In a multicenter retrospective analysis, we analyzed 274 revision shoulder arthroplasties converted to a RSA (n = 182), anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA, n = 68), or hemiarthroplasty (n = 24) from 2005 to 2016. Demographics, surgical indications, and types of prosthesis were analyzed. RESULTS: The number of revision arthroplasties increased over 12 years. From 2005 to 2010, TSA (33%) or hemiarthroplasty (16%) were used in similar rates as RSA (51%). From 2011 to 2016, there was a much higher incidence of revision arthroplasty with RSA (78%) compared with TSA (19%) or hemiarthroplasty (3%). Specifically, the number of RSAs increased in 2011 to 2016 compared with 2005 to 2010 in patients aged younger than 60 years, obese patients, patients with indications of glenoid loosening, and those with a diagnosis of diabetes mellitus or rheumatoid arthritis. CONCLUSIONS: The use of RSA for revision arthroplasty increased over the "era of the reverse" and became the majority by 2016. The reverse prosthesis has had expanding indications regarding both patient demographics and pathology. This study demonstrates the reverse prosthesis has had a similar and even more profound effect on revision shoulder arthroplasty than what has previously been well documented in the primary setting.

Revision Multiligament Knee Reconstruction: Clinical Outcomes and Proposed Treatment Algorithm.

PURPOSE: To (1) assess clinical outcomes of revision multiligament knee injury (MLKI) reconstruction at a minimum of 2 years' follow-up and (2) present a standardized treatment algorithm used in treating revision MLKI patients. METHODS: A retrospective review of our institution's MLKI database was performed to identify all patients who underwent revision MLKI reconstructions (≥2 ligaments reconstructed) after implementation of a standardized treatment algorithm in 2000 and had a minimum of 2 years' follow-up. Patient demographic information, injury description (mechanism of injury, neurovascular status, knee dislocation grade, associated chondral or meniscal injury), surgical technique (repair vs reconstruction, staged vs nonstaged, concomitant procedures), mechanism of failure, knee stability, and range of motion, as well as International Knee Documentation Committee and Lysholm scores, were obtained. RESULTS: We assessed 23 patients (8 female and 15 male patients), with an average age of 26.7 ± 11.5 years at primary surgery and 30.8 ± 11.0 years at revision surgery. The mean follow-up period was 7.5 ± 5.3 years. Of the 23 patients, 10 (43.4%) underwent staged revision procedures: isolated bone grafting in 3, osteotomy in 4, hardware removal with osteochondral allograft in 1, hardware removal with bone grafting in 1, and meniscus repair for a locked knee in 1. The average International Knee Documentation Committee and Lysholm scores were 74.5 ± 22.3 and 79.4 ± 20.2, respectively. High-energy injury and increasing age at revision surgery were the only risk factors found to be associated with significantly worse outcomes (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with recurrent instability after MLKI reconstruction present with many concomitant pathologies, including limb malalignment, bone tunnel widening, retained hardware, meniscal incompetence, and cartilage defects. Revision MLKI reconstruction can provide these patients with modest functional outcomes when a standardized treatment algorithm is used focusing on identification and treatment of the concomitant pathology, often in a staged manner. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, case series.