Rotator Cuff Augmentation: Its Role and Best Practices.

Rotator cuff tears are a common source of pain and impairment in the shoulder. Healing of the rotator cuff tendons following repair has been associated with improved patient outcomes. While there have been many technical improvements in surgical techniques for rotator cuff repair, failure rates are still surprisingly high. Augmentation of these repairs has been shown to help with fixation biomechanics as well as healing rates. The described types of augments include autograft, allograft, xenograft, and synthetic options. This report reviews the commonly available types of augments and some of the outcomes associated with their use.

Chronic Midsubstance Patellar Tendon and Retinacular Rupture: Primary Repair Enhancement Using Bioinductive Implant Augmentation.

Midsubstance tears of the patellar tendon are uncommon and present a difficult injury to treat. If left untreated, these can be debilitating injuries for patients and leave them with an overall lack of function in the injured extremity. Compared to a proximal or distal patellar tendon rupture, midsubstance tears rely on tendon-to-tendon healing instead of bone to tendon healing. Given this situation, specific preoperative planning and the use of a bioinductive scaffolding allows surgeons to enhance the overall construct, while promoting a beneficial healing environment. Although the addition of bioinductive implants has grown in popularity for upper extremity injuries, few cases describe its use in the lower extremity setting. Here, we present a case of midsubstance patellar tendon repair, as well as a medial and lateral retinacular repair using a structural biological implant with Type I collagen for augmentation to enhance our overall final construct.

Anatomic Acromioclavicular Joint Reconstruction with and without Acromioclavicular Ligament Reconstruction: A Comparative Biomechanical Study.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine if adding a reconstructed superior acromioclavicular (AC) joint ligament adds significant biomechanical stability to the AC joint over anatomic coracoclavicular (CC) ligament reconstruction alone. Methods: Fourteen cadaver shoulders were used for the comparison of biomechanical stability among the anatomic CC ligament reconstruction alone, CC and AC ligament reconstruction, and the intact groups by measuring the displacement under cyclic loads. A load to failure test was then performed in the vertical direction at a loading rate of 2 mm /sec to determine surgical-repair joints' tolerance to the maximum failure load. Results: The average peak-to-peak displacement induced by cyclic load in the sagittal axis and vertical axis direction was not significantly different between CC ligament reconstruction, CC and AC ligament reconstruction, and intact groups. The maximum failure load for the CC reconstruction (224.9 ± 91.8 N (Mean ± SEM)) was lower than CC/AC reconstruction groups (326.2 ± 123.3 N). The CC/AC reconstruction group failed at a significantly higher load (t test, p = 0.016) than the CC reconstruction group. Conclusion: CC/AC reconstruction surgical technique yielded a better shoulder stability than CC ligament alone reconstruction that may better maintain reduction of the AC joint.Level of Evidence: Level II.

Arthroscopic Latarjet Learning Curve: Operating Time Decreases After 25 Cases.

Purpose: To demonstrate the learning curve associated with the arthroscopic Latarjet procedure and create a timetable to proficiency. Methods: Using retrospective data of a single surgeon, consecutive patients who had an arthroscopic Latarjet procedure performed between December 2015 and May 2021 were initially reviewed for inclusion in the study. Patients were excluded if medical data were insufficient for accurate surgical time record, their surgery was transitioned to open or minimally invasive, or if their surgery was performed in conjunction with a second procedure for a separate issue. All surgeries were performed on an outpatient basis and sports participation was the most common reason for initial glenohumeral dislocation. Results: Fifty-five patients were identified. Of these, 51 met the inclusion criteria. Analysis of operative times for all 51 procedures demonstrated that proficiency with the arthroscopic Latarjet procedure was obtained after 25 cases. This number was determined by 2 methods using statistical analysis (P < .05). The average operative time over the course of the first 25 cases was 105.68 minutes and beyond 25 cases was 82.41 minutes. Male gender was seen in 86.3 percent of the patients. The average age of the patients was 28.6 years old. Conclusions: With continued transition towards bony augmentation procedures for addressing glenoid bone deficiency there is an increasing demand for the arthroscopic bony glenoid reconstruction procedures including the Latarjet procedure. It is a challenging procedure with a substantial initial learning curve. For a skilled arthroscopist there is a significant decrease in overall surgical time after the first 25 cases. Clinical Relevance: The arthroscopic Latarjet procedure has advantages over the open Latarjet approach; however, it is controversial because it is technically challenging. It is important for surgeons to understand when they can expect to be proficient with the arthroscopic approach.

Rotator Cuff Repair Augmented With Interpositional Nanofiber Scaffold.

Despite advances in arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, failure rates up to 94% have been reported in the literature for large tears, with rates as high as 36% for small and medium tears. One strategy for improving outcomes is augmentation with a patch, which has typically been incorporated onto the bursal portion of the repaired tendon and been made up of either dermal or bovine collagen tissue. The Rotium wick (Atreon Orthopedics, Columbus, OH)-an interpositional augmentation-is a nanofiber scaffold that is meant to be sandwiched between the rotator cuff and humerus at the bone-tendon interface and is currently the only implant approved by the US Food and Drug Administration to be used in this manner. The scaffold works to improve the cellular organization of the basement membrane during tendon healing at the enthesis and, in a recent sheep study, has been shown to better replicate the natural Sharpey-like fibers similar to the native tendon and increase the strength of the repair more rapidly. The purpose of this Technical Note is to describe the means for use of an interpositional nanofiber scaffold for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

Arthroscopic Latarjet procedure does not lead to loss of clinically significant external rotation at 0° and 90° of shoulder abduction.

Background: Several reports have shown that shoulder stabilizing procedures lead to postoperative external rotation (ER) deficits. However, no study on arthroscopic Latarjet procedures has investigated the effect on ER when the arm is abducted at 0° (ER0) and 90° (ER90). This study examined the relationship between the arthroscopic Latarjet procedure and the subsequent effect on ER0 and ER90. Methods: Patients who underwent an arthroscopic Latarjet procedure from December 2015 to April 2021 were retrospectively evaluated. Preoperative ER0 and ER90 values were obtained from the contralateral shoulder. ER0 and ER90 values from the operative side were collected at both 3 and 6 months postoperatively. A repeated measures ANOVA was performed to assess the mean preoperative and postoperative values. Results: Forty-six patients met the inclusion criteria. Mean ER0 for the 3- and 6-month time frames measured 44.2° and 54.6°, respectively. Mean ER90 for the 3- and 6-month time frames measured 78.4° and 90.4°, respectively. Comparison to the contralateral arm at the 3-month follow-up period showed a deficit of 14.9° (P = .0001) and 17.2° (P = .0001) for ER0 and ER90, respectively. At the 6-month follow-up period, patients demonstrated an average decline in ER0 and ER90 of 4.57° (P = .063) and 5.11° (P = .008), respectively. Conclusion: A nominal deficit in ER occurred for both ER0 and ER90 status post arthroscopic Latarjet procedure. Despite loss of ER90 at 6 months achieving statistical significance, the clinical impact is arguably inconsequential. Such limited loss of ER provides more information regarding bony procedures being a more definitive treatment for glenohumeral instability and the ability to restore native motion.

Arthroscopic Internal Fixation of Coracoid Fractures: Surgical Technique Guide.

Fractures of the coracoid process are uncommon injuries and are usually the result of high-energy trauma or avulsion-type injuries. Typically coracoid fractures treated with nonoperative management have yielded good results. Operative treatment of coracoid fractures is reserved for a subset of clinical situations, including fracture nonunion. We detail our technique for arthroscopic debridement of a Type II coracoid fracture nonunion, as well as the use of arthroscopic-assisted percutaneous fixation for a Type II coracoid fracture.

Full-Thickness Rotator Cuff Tears Can Be Safely Treated With a Resorbable Bioinductive Bovine Collagen Implant: One-Year Results of a Prospective, Multicenter Registry.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to prospectively collect safety and efficacy data in a large group of patients undergoing arthroscopic repair of full-thickness rotator cuff tears augmented with a resorbable bioinductive bovine collagen implant designed to promote healing. METHODS: Seventeen centers across the United States enrolled patients in an institutional review board-approved registry to collect outcomes data on the implant. Patients undergoing surgical management of full-thickness rotator cuff tears augmented with the implant were enrolled. Inclusion criteria were age of ≥21 years, willingness to participate and the ability to read and speak English. Exclusion criteria included hypersensitivity to bovine-derived products. Patients were assessed before and after surgery at up to 1 year with outcomes including the single-assessment numeric evaluation (SANE), Veterans RAND 12-Item (VR-12) mental components and physical components (VR-12 PCS), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES), and Western Ontario Rotator Cuff (WORC) outcome measures. Ad hoc analyses were performed to compare these outcomes at all time points depending on tear size (small/medium vs large/massive). Serious complications were collected. RESULTS: Of 210 patients enrolled, 192 had 1-year follow-up data available. The patients experienced statistically significant improvement between baseline and 1 year for mean SANE, VR-12 PCS, ASES, and WORC scores (40.0-82.0, 33.5-47.3, 46.2-87.8, and 36.2-81.0, respectively; P < .001 for all results). Ad-hoc analysis demonstrated that similar results were obtained at 1 year regardless of tear size. Twenty patients (10.4%) experienced serious complications (10.4%), including revision surgery (n = 18), proximal humerus fracture/partial subscapularis tear resulting from multiple falls (n = 1), and adhesive capsulitis (n = 1). CONCLUSIONS: The safety and efficacy of a bioinductive implant in the surgical management of full-thickness rotator cuff tears at 1 year was shown in this study. Implant efficacy appears to be comparable regardless of the underlying tear size. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic case series.

Treatment of Partial-Thickness Rotator Cuff Tears With a Resorbable Bioinductive Bovine Collagen Implant: 1-Year Results From a Prospective Multicenter Registry.

BACKGROUND: Surgical treatment of partial-thickness rotator cuff tears remains challenging and controversial, with several traditional options including debridement with acromioplasty, transtendon or in situ repair, and take-down and repair. A resorbable bioinductive bovine collagen implant has shown promise as an alternative treatment option for partial-thickness tears. PURPOSE: Data from a registry were analyzed to further establish that the implant contributes to improved patient-reported outcome (PRO) scores across a large number of patients treated for partial-thickness rotator cuff tears. STUDY DESIGN: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS: A total of 19 centers in the United States enrolled patients >21 years old with partial-thickness tears of the rotator cuff in a comprehensive prospective multicenter registry. PRO scores were recorded preoperatively and postoperatively at 2 and 6 weeks, 3 and 6 months, and 1 year: American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation, Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey (physical and mental component scores), and Western Ontario Rotator Cuff scores. Revisions were reported throughout the study. RESULTS: The registry included 272 patients with partial-thickness tears (49 grade 1 tears, 101 grade 2 tears, and 122 grade 3 tears), 241 who underwent isolated bioinductive repair (IBR; collagen implant placed after bursectomy without a traditional rotator cuff repair), and 31 who had take-down and repair with bioinductive augmentation. Patients experienced statistically significant and sustained improvement from baseline for all PRO scores beginning at 3 months. Among patients with grade ≥2 tears, those with take-down and repair had significantly inferior scores at 2 and 6 weeks for most PRO scores as compared with those who underwent IBR, but the difference was no longer significant at 1 year for all but the physical component score of the Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey. There were 11 revisions, which occurred at a mean ± SD of 188.7 ± 88.0 days after the index surgery. There were no infections. CONCLUSION: This registry analysis further establishes across a large data set that this resorbable bioinductive bovine collagen implant improves PROs in all grades of partial-thickness tears, whether used as IBR or in conjunction with take-down and repair. IBR may offer improved early clinical outcomes (≤6 weeks) and comparable outcomes at 1 year when compared with a more invasive "take-down and repair" approach.

Management of Traumatic Coracoid Fracture and Anterior Shoulder Instability With a Modified Arthroscopic Latarjet Technique.

Coracoid fractures are an uncommon injury and typically occur in the setting of high-energy trauma. Isolated injury to the coracoid is rare; therefore, a high suspicion for concomitant shoulder injuries should exist. These associated injuries have been shown to be acromioclavicular dislocations, clavicular and acromial fractures, scapular spine fractures, rotator cuff tears, and anterior shoulder dislocations. Although most of these shoulder injuries respond to nonsurgical treatment, there are case reports and literature reviews that present more complicated injuries requiring surgical intervention. Shoulder dislocations with associated coracoid fractures can also manifest glenoid bone loss resulting in continued instability. In this scenario, the fractured coracoid can be used to address the glenoid bone loss, as well as the continued instability. Regarding technique, other authors have described an open procedure with screw or anchor fixation. This Technical Note describes our technique for treating a displaced Ogawa type II coracoid process fracture with concomitant anterior shoulder dislocation by an arthroscopic Latarjet procedure using the fractured coracoid.

DVT and Pulmonary Embolism Following Knee Arthroscopy: The Role of Genetic Predisposition and Autoimmune Antibodies: A Report of 3 Cases.

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) after arthroscopy has been considered a rare event; however, recent studies using ultrasound and venography have shown that the incidence of DVTs is underestimated. CASES:: This report describes 3 patients with DVT and/or PE after knee arthroscopy who were attributed to a genetic predisposition of hypercoagulability unknown to the patient and surgeon. CONCLUSIONS:: Genetic predisposition and autoimmune antibodies may play a role in the development of DVT after knee arthroscopy. We recommend focused questions regarding family history be added to the standard DVT/PE preoperative questionnaire.

Intra- and interobserver reliability for predicting hip preservation versus hip arthroplasty utilizing plain radiographs with comparison of surgeon specialization.

Surgeon subspecialty training and practice landscape are formative in diagnostic evaluation and treatment recommendations. Varying recommendations can have substantial impact on patients' care pathways and outcomes. We investigated intra- and interobserver reliability of treatment predictions for total hip arthroplasty (THA) between surgeons performing arthroplasty and/or arthroscopic hip preservation surgery. Anterior-posterior (AP) hip radiographs cropped to include the lateral sourcil, medial sourcil and foveal region of 53 patients with Tönnis Grade 0-3 were evaluated by five surgeons (two performing arthroplasty, two performing arthroscopic hip preservation and one performing both interventions). Surgeons predicted THA versus no THA as the treatment for each image. Predictions were repeated three times with image order randomized, and intra- and interobserver reliability were calculated. Surgeons were blinded to patient characteristics and clinical information. Interobserver reliability was 0.452 whereas intraobserver reliability ranged from 0.270 to 0.690. Arthroscopic hip preservation surgeons were more likely to predict THA (36.9%) than arthroplasty surgeons (32.7%), P = 0.041. Intra- and interobserver reliabilities of surgeons predicting THA versus no THA based on an AP hip radiograph were average at best. Arthroscopic hip preservation surgeons were more likely to predict THA than arthroplasty surgeons. Subjective surgeon interpretation can lead to variability in recommendations to patients; potentially complicating care pathways.

Patient-Reported Outcomes After Use of a Bioabsorbable Collagen Implant to Treat Partial and Full-Thickness Rotator Cuff Tears.

PURPOSE: To collect outcomes data on patients treated with a bioinductive collagen implant designed to induce rotator cuff healing in partial- and full-thickness cuff tears and to assess the safety and efficacy of the device. METHODS: Fifteen surgeons in 15 centers in the United States enrolled patients between April 2016 and August 2017 and collected standardized outcomes data. Patients 21 years of age and older, able to read and speak English, and with partial- or full-thickness tears of the rotator cuff documented by magnetic resonance imaging were included in the study. Patients were assessed preoperatively with visual analogue scale (VAS), single-assessment numeric evaluation (SANE), Veterans RAND 12-Item (VR-12), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES), and Western Ontario Rotator Cuff (WORC) outcomes measures. Postoperative assessment was made at 2, 6, and 12 weeks, 6 months, and 1 year. Patients underwent a standardized operative procedure with the implant. Patient demographics, comorbidities, tear types, and concomitant operative procedures were recorded. RESULTS: Patients in both groups experienced statistically significant improvement in VAS, SANE, VR-12 PCS, ASES, and WORC scores (mean values 1.1, P < .001; 86.0, P < .001; 49.7, P < .001; 85.6, P < .001; and 84.4, P < .001 for partial tears and 1.2, P < .001; 80.7, P < .001; 45.7, P < .001; 83.8, P < .0001; and 80.1, P < .001 for full-thickness tears, respectively). For the partial tear group, average times for return to driving, work, and nonoverhead athletic activity were 14.6, 37.3, and 65.6 days, and for the full-thickness group, 24.5, 50.7, and 119.2 days, respectively. In the partial-thickness group, 84% and 83% of patients reported improvement in their VAS pain and ASES scores, respectively, that met or exceeded each measure's minimal clinically important difference. In the full-thickness group, 72% and 77% of the patients met or exceeded the minimal clinically important differences for VAS pain and ASES, respectively. CONCLUSION: Outcomes after repair of partial- and full-thickness rotator cuff tears using a bioinductive implant show safety and efficacy at 1-year follow-up. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Retrospective case series, level IV evidence.

Histologic Evaluation of Biopsy Specimens Obtained After Rotator Cuff Repair Augmented With a Highly Porous Collagen Implant.

PURPOSE: To histologically evaluate biopsy specimens from patients who previously underwent rotator cuff repair augmented with a highly porous collagen implant. METHODS: Biopsies of collagen implant/host-tissue constructs were obtained from 7 patients undergoing a second arthroscopic procedure at various time periods (5 weeks to 6 months) after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair augmented with a collagen implant overlay. The biopsy specimens were examined histologically for host-tissue ingrowth, host-tissue maturation, and host-implant biocompatibility. RESULTS: At the earliest time period (5 weeks), the biopsy revealed the presence of host cells (fibroblasts) within the interstices of the porous collagen implant. Cells were aligned along the linear orientation of the collagen implant structure, and there was evidence of early collagen formation. The 3-month biopsies showed increased collagen formation, maturation, and organization over the surface of the implant and evidence of the collagen implant. At 6 months, the newly generated tissue had the histologic appearance of a tendon, suggesting functional loading of the new generated host tissue. There was no evidence of any remnants of the collagen implant in the 6-month biopsy. There was no evidence of any inflammatory or foreign body reaction within any of the tissue samples. CONCLUSIONS: Biopsies of collagen implants retrieved from human rotator cuff repair subjects revealed cellular incorporation, tissue formation and maturation, implant resorption, and biocompatibility. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: The histologic observations from these clinical biopsies support the biocompatibility of this implant and its ability to promote new connective tissue with the histological appearance of tendon over the surface of the native cuff tendon.