The Role of Arthroscopy in Painful Shoulder Arthroplasty: Is Revision Always Necessary?

PURPOSE: To determine whether arthroscopy is an effective means to diagnose and treat postoperative pain in anatomic total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) and reverse TSA patients. METHODS: A 2-year retrospective chart review of patients with a painful shoulder arthroplasty was performed. Patients included in the study had a painful shoulder after previous shoulder arthroplasty without gross signs of infection, severely elevated laboratory markers, implant loosening, or glenoid arthrosis after hemiarthroplasty. Visual analog scale scores, physical examination findings, laboratory studies, culture results, pathology reports, operative records, and postoperative treatment data were collected. RESULTS: The study cohort included 6 male and 7 female patients. Between 2016 and 2018, 7 TSA and 6 reverse TSA patients underwent arthroscopic debridement of adhesions and synovitis with tissue biopsy for cultures and fresh-frozen sections. We arthroscopically treated adhesive capsulitis, subacromial impingement, and acromioclavicular joint arthritis in 3 patients. Three patients required extensive debridement for profound synovitis. All 6 patients had negative findings of cultures and frozen sections, and none required revision arthroplasty. Their average follow-up period was 18.6 months (range, 9-32 months), with improvement in the mean visual analog scale score from 8.2 of 10 (range, 6-10) to 2.5 of 10 (range, 2-8). Two patients had arthroscopic cultures showing Cutibacterium acnes infection. Both required revision with an antibiotic spacer. Findings of cultures and fresh-frozen sections at revision were consistent with arthroscopic findings. Arthroscopic evaluation in 5 additional patients identified mechanical implant failure or a rotator cuff tear. CONCLUSIONS: Arthroscopy is a viable option to evaluate and treat painful shoulder arthroplasty. We were able to successfully treat 46% of patients (6 of 13) with arthroscopic procedures, preventing the need for revision arthroplasty. Arthroscopic frozen section and culture results had a 100% correlation with open frozen section and culture results in patients who had cultures obtained. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, case series.

Arthroscopic Superior Capsular Reconstruction Using Hamstring Allograft.

Superior capsular reconstruction (SCR) has become an acceptable treatment option for patients with chronic shoulder pain in the setting of an irreparable rotator cuff tear. Several different techniques have been described with varying graft options. In this Technical Note, we introduce a technique for arthroscopic SCR using hamstring allograft tendon. Our described technique allows for a "one-size-fits-all" graft with a "build as you go" construct with no need for intraoperative dimensional defect measurements or specific graft modifications. This technique provides a reliable and reproducible procedure using readily available graft tissue.

Treatment of glenohumeral osteoarthritis.

This clinical practice guideline is based on a systematic review of published studies on the treatment of glenohumeral osteoarthritis in the adult patient population. Of the 16 recommendations addressed, nine are inconclusive. Two were reached by consensus-that physicians use perioperative mechanical and/or chemical venous thromboembolism prophylaxis for shoulder arthroplasty patients and that total shoulder arthroplasty not be performed in patients with glenohumeral osteoarthritis who have an irreparable rotator cuff tear. Four options were graded as weak: the use of injectable viscosupplementation; total shoulder arthroplasty and hemiarthroplasty as treatment; avoiding shoulder arthroplasty by surgeons who perform fewer than two shoulder arthroplasties per year (to reduce the risk of immediate postoperative complications); and the use of keeled or pegged all-polyethylene cemented glenoid components. The single moderate-rated recommendation was for the use of total shoulder arthroplasty rather than hemiarthroplasty. Management of glenohumeral osteoarthritis remains controversial; the scientific evidence on this topic can be significantly improved.

Tendon-bone interface motion in transosseous suture and suture anchor rotator cuff repair techniques.

BACKGROUND: Although many studies involving rotator cuff repair fixation have focused on ultimate fixation strength and ability to restore the tendon's native footprint, no studies have characterized the stability of the repair with regard to motion between the tendon and repair site footprint. HYPOTHESIS: Suture anchor fixation for rotator cuff repair has greater interface motion between tendon and bone than does transosseous suture fixation. STUDY DESIGN: Controlled laboratory study. METHODS: Twelve fresh-frozen human cadaveric shoulders were tested in a custom device to position the shoulder in internal and external rotations with simulated supraspinatus muscle loading. Tendon motion relative to the insertional footprint on the greater tuberosity was determined optically using a digital camera rigidly connected to the humerus, with the humerus positioned at 60 degrees of internal rotation and 60 degrees of external rotation. Testing was performed for the intact tendon, a complete supraspinatus tear, a suture anchor repair, and a transosseous tunnel repair. RESULTS: Difference in tendon-bone interface motion when compared with the intact tendon was 7.14 +/- 3.72 mm for the torn rotator cuff condition, 2.35 +/- 1.26 mm for the suture anchor repair, and 0.02 +/- 1.18 mm for the transosseous suture repair. The transosseous suture repair demonstrated significantly less motion when compared with the torn rotator cuff and suture anchor repair conditions (P < .05). CONCLUSION: Transosseous suture repair compared with suture anchor repair demonstrated superior tendon fixation with reduced motion at the tendon-to-tuberosity interface. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Development of new fixation techniques for arthroscopic and open rotator cuff repairs should attempt to minimize interface motion of the tendon relative to the tuberosity.

A survey of sports medicine specialists investigating the preferred management of contaminated anterior cruciate ligament grafts.

PURPOSE: To survey leaders in sports medicine who perform anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstructions to determine the preferred management when ACL graft contamination occurs. TYPE OF STUDY: Survey study of expert opinions and experiences on the management of ACL graft contamination. METHODS: We mailed 337 surveys to directors of academic sports medicine programs and graduates from an accredited sports medicine fellowship. The survey questioned the incidence, treatment, and outcome of ACL graft contamination. RESULTS: Twelve surveys were returned to sender; 196 surgeons responded from the remaining 325 surveys (60%). Forty-nine of 196 (25%) surgeons reported at least 1 contamination during their career. Of those 49, 43 surgeons (88%) had 1 contaminated graft, 5 (10%) had 2, and 1 had 4, for a total of 57 reported contaminated grafts. Of the surgeons who reported a contaminated graft, 22 (45%) performed between 40 and 100 ACL reconstructions annually, and 17 (35%) performed more than 100 ACL reconstructions annually. Forty-three of the 57 (75%) contaminated grafts were managed with cleansing of the graft and proceeding with reconstruction. Ten (18%) were managed by harvesting a different graft, and 4 (7%) were substituted with an allograft. No infections in any of the contaminated grafts were reported. Sixty-five of the 147 (43%) surgeons without graft contamination gave hypothetical management responses. Thirty-eight (58%) would cleanse the graft and proceed with the procedure, 22 (34%) would harvest a different graft, and 5 (8%) would use an allograft. CONCLUSIONS: Surgeons who perform a high volume of ACL reconstruction surgery most often choose graft cleansing as the preferred management for intraoperative ACL graft contamination. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level V, expert opinion.

Arthroscopic acromioplasty: history, rationale, and technique.

Subacromial impingement or supraspinatus syndrome has been known to exist in some form since the early 1900s. Several early studies have discussed subacromial impingement or supraspinatus syndrome. Arthroscopic acromioplasty has evolved as a useful surgical treatment. Pertinent physical examination and radiographic evaluation findings must be identified. In order for the surgery to be successful, it is important to understand the rationale for treatment of impingement syndrome and the technical aspects of arthroscopic acromioplasty.

Conversion of painful hemiarthroplasty to total shoulder arthroplasty: long-term results.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the outcome after conversion of painful hemiarthroplasty to total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA). Sixteen consecutive patients who underwent revision TSA for failed humeral head replacement (HHR) at our institution from 1988 to 2000 were evaluated. The mean interval from the time of HHR to revision TSA was 3.5 years (range, 11 months to 10.5 years). At a mean 5.5-year follow-up (range, 2-14 months), the results were excellent in 3 of 15 (20%), satisfactory in 5 of 15 (33%), and unsatisfactory in 7 of 15 (47%). The mean American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score was 73.6 (range, 46.7-95) out of a possible 100. The mean visual analog pain score was 2.4 (range, 0-6) out of 10. Evidence of posterior glenoid erosion was found in 64% (7/11) of these patients. On the basis of the complexity of the surgery and the 47% unsatisfactory rate, we conclude that revision of a failed HHR to a TSA is a salvage procedure whose results are inferior to those of primary TSA.