Early revision rotator cuff repair: an analysis of outcomes and function.

PURPOSE: Rotator cuff repair (RCR) is commonly performed and can have good functional outcomes. However, failure of RCR surgery can be challenging for both patient and surgeon alike. This study examines the outcomes of early revision RCR for the management of clinically failed RCRs. METHODS: Thirty-six patients undergoing revision RCR within 1 year of primary surgery were evaluated. Range of motion (ROM) and patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) were assessed at baseline, post-primary RCR, and post-revision RCR. RESULTS: Patients with a documented repair failure after primary RCR failed to improve in both ROM and PROMs compared to before primary RCR. Following early revision, RCR SANE (p = 0.024, p < 0.001), ASES (p = 0.004, p < 0.001), and SST (p < 0.001, p = 0.001) scores improved significantly compared to pre-primary and pre-revision scores, respectively. Documentation of a new traumatic injury did not affect clinical or functional outcomes compared to atraumatic re-tears. Number of tendons torn was positively correlated with higher SANE scores (r = 0.638, p = 0.008) and negatively correlated with SST score (r = -0.475, p = 0.03) and improvement in forward elevation (r = -0.368, p = 0.03) after primary RCR. There were significant correlations between number of tendons torn and improvement in SANE (r = 0.664, p = 0.007) and ASES scores (r = 0.468, p = 0.043) from post-primary RCR to post-revision RCR. CONCLUSION: Early revision after failed RCR can lead to clinically significant improvement in functional outcomes. The presence of a traumatic re-injury does not appear to affect revision RCR outcomes as it does in the primary setting. Patients with early clinical failures of primary RCR may benefit from early revision RCR. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III: Retrospective Case Series.

Outcomes of rotator cuff repair with concurrent microfracture of focal glenohumeral osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND: The benefit of rotator cuff repair (RCR) in patients with concurrent osteoarthritic changes remains unclear. RCR has the theoretical potential to increase the compressive force across the glenohumeral joint, further exacerbating osteoarthritis pain. The purpose of this study is to investigate pain relief and patient-reported outcomes of patients undergoing simultaneous RCR and microfracture of focal glenohumeral osteoarthritis. METHODS: Thirty-four patients undergoing simultaneous RCR and microfracture were retrospectively reviewed at a minimum 1-year follow-up. Patient demographics, preoperative range of motion, functional outcomes (visual analog scale [VAS], Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation [SANE], American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form [ASES], and Simple Shoulder Test [SST]), and operative metrics were recorded. The patients were then contacted to obtain postoperative functional outcome scores (VAS, SANE, ASES, and SST). RESULTS: Twenty-seven patients (11 male/16 female [79%]) were evaluated at a mean follow-up of 25.8 months (range, 12-46). The average age at surgery was 64.9 years (range, 56-78). Chronic tears were more common than acute tears (57.7% vs. 42.3%). The majority of patients had a full rotator cuff tear (89%) involving a mean 1.7 ± 0.8 tendons (range, 1-3). Eighty-eight percent of the humeral lesions were Outerbridge 4 compared with 84% on the glenoid. The mean estimated involvement between the 2 groups with 38.4% ± 18.4% of the humeral head involved and 34.6% ± 18.4% of the glenoid involved. PRO scores improved postoperatively with a reduction in mean VAS (6.6-2.0, P < .01), SANE (33.8-79.8, P < .01), ASES (38.0-80.9, P < .01), and SST (3.07-9.70, P < .01) scores. Cumulatively, only 52% (14/27) of the patients improved, however, by the MCID for all collected PROs. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrate modest improvements in postoperative pain and functional scores at a minimum of 1-year follow-up in a cohort of patients who have undergone RCR and glenohumeral microfracture. In cases of small focal lesions of full-thickness cartilage loss, RCR with microfracture is a reasonable treatment option; however, patients should be counseled on expectations accordingly.

Surgical Decision Making for Thoracolumbar Spine Injuries in Polytrauma Patients.

The management of thoracolumbar spine injuries in patients with multiple traumatic injuries is a challenge complicated by multiple competing medical and surgical demands. Safe and effective treatment of polytrauma patients with a thoracolumbar spine injury requires a multidisciplinary approach that involves surgical and critical care teams. The Thoracolumbar Injury Classification and Severity Score, which was developed to facilitate consistent surgical decision making in patients with a thoracolumbar spine injury, provides objective criteria for the classification and management of thoracolumbar spine injuries. The AOSpine study group recently developed a comprehensive thoracolumbar injury classification system that was subsequently used to create the Thoracolumbar AOSpine Injury Score, which helps guide thoracolumbar spine injury management via objective criteria. These scoring systems have been effectively used in clinical practice and allow for a focused and objective assessment of thoracolumbar spine injuries. Both the Thoracolumbar Injury Classification and Severity Score and the Thoracolumbar AOSpine Injury Score should be routinely used in treatment decision making to optimize outcomes and avoid unnecessary surgical treatment in polytrauma patients with a thoracolumbar spine injury.

The effectiveness of autologous conditioned serum in the treatment of knee osteoarthritis.

CLINICAL SCENARIO: Osteoarthritis (OA) is a debilitating degenerative disease affecting an estimated 27 million Americans. A systematic review found that patients with a previous history of traumatic knee injury are at increased risk of developing knee OA, regardless of specific injury. It is vital for the maintenance of quality of life for individuals affected with OA that the treatment options available be able to reduce symptoms and restore quality of living. The pain-relief benefits of traditional injection treatments are small to moderate and have a limited duration. It was found that at 2 wk postinjection that corticosteroids were more effective than hyaluronic acid (HA) injections. Autologous conditioned serum (ACS) injection is a novel treatment that has shown favorable results. However, many clinicians continue to use HA injections for reduction of symptoms in patients with osteoarthritis when the use of ACS may be more beneficial. FOCUSED CLINICAL QUESTION: For patients with knee OA, is an ACS injection more efficient at producing a reduction in symptoms than HA or a saline injection?

Venous Thromboembolism Within Professional American Sport Leagues.

BACKGROUND: Numerous reports have described players in professional American sports leagues who have been sidelined with a deep vein thrombosis (DVT) or a pulmonary embolism (PE), but little is known about the clinical implications of these events in professional athletes. PURPOSE: To conduct a retrospective review of injury reports from the National Hockey League (NHL), Major League Baseball (MLB), the National Basketball Association (NBA), and the National Football League (NFL) to take a closer look at the incidence of DVT/PE, current treatment approaches, and estimated time to return to play in professional athletes. STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive epidemiology study. METHODS: An online search of all team injury and media reports of DVT/PE in NHL, MLB, NBA, and NFL players available for public record was conducted by use of Google, PubMed, and SPORTDiscus. Searches were conducted using the professional team name combined with blood clot, pulmonary embolism, and deep vein thrombosis. RESULTS: A total of 55 venous thromboembolism (VTE) events were identified from 1999 through 2016 (NHL, n = 22; MLB, n = 16; NFL, n = 12; NBA, n = 5). Nineteen athletes were reported to have an upper extremity DVT, 15 had a lower extremity DVT, 15 had a PE, and 6 had DVT with PE. Six athletes sustained more than 1 VTE. The mean age at time of VTE was 29.3 years (range, 19-42 years). Mean (±SD) time lost from play was 6.7 ± 4.9 months (range, 3 days to career end). Seven athletes did not return to play. Players with upper extremity DVT had a faster return to play (mean ± SD, 4.3 ± 2.7 months) than those with lower extremity DVT (5.9 ± 3.8 months), PE (10.8 ± 6.8 months), or DVT with PE (8.2 ± 2.6 months) (F = 5.69, P = .002). No significant difference was found regarding time of return to play between sports. CONCLUSION: VTE in professional athletes led to an average of 6.7 months lost from play. The majority of athletes were able to return to play after a period of anticoagulation or surgery. Those with an upper extremity DVT returned to play faster than those with other types of VTE. Further study is needed to look into modifiable risk factors for these events and to establish treatment and return-to-play guidelines to ensure the safety of these athletes.

Adaptations of the Shoulder to Overhead Throwing in Youth Athletes.

CONTEXT: The high number of repetitions and high forces associated with overhead throwing lead to anatomical adaptations, such as humeral retrotorsion and posterior-capsule thickness, in elite and professional baseball athletes. However, little is known about the origin and progression of these changes that may account for the increasing trend of chronic shoulder injuries in youth baseball and precipitate subsequent pathologic conditions throughout a young athlete's lifetime. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship of age and upper extremity dominance on humeral retrotorsion, posterior-capsule thickness, and glenohumeral range of motion. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SETTING: Research laboratory, local baseball fields, and training facilities. PATIENTS OR OTHER PARTICIPANTS: Thirty-six boys (mean age = 10.94 ± 1.34 years, height = 151.31 ± 12.17 cm, mass = 42.51 ± 10.32 kg) ranging in age from 8 to 12 years and involved in organized youth baseball. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Diagnostic ultrasound was used to determine humeral retrotorsion and posterior-capsule thickness. Glenohumeral internal rotation and external rotation were measured using a handheld inclinometer. We used 2 × 2 mixed-model analyses of variance to compare the influence of limb dominance and age on the dependent variables of humeral retrotorsion, posterior-capsule thickness, internal rotation, and external rotation. RESULTS: The dominant shoulders of youth throwers exhibited less glenohumeral internal rotation but greater humeral retrotorsion, posterior-capsule thickness, and glenohumeral external rotation than the nondominant shoulders. Dominant internal rotation was greater in the 8- to 10-year-old group than in the 11- to 12-year-old group, and results trended toward a difference (F1,33 = 4.12, P = .05). Correlations existed between humeral retrotorsion and range of motion (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: The structural adaptations in the dominant shoulders of younger baseball players were similar to adaptations observed in older baseball athletes, indicating that more examination is needed in younger athletes. We are the first to demonstrate greater posterior-capsule thickness in the dominant shoulders of youth baseball athletes.