[Ultrasound diagnosis of the rotator cuff]. / Sonographie der Rotatorenmanschette.

Shoulder sonography is a well-established and standardized method to evaluate the status of the rotator cuff, the long head of the biceps, and the subacromial and subdeltoid bursae. Using high-frequency linear probes, the sensitivity in detecting total tears sized 0.5 cm and greater is > 90% and in detecting partial thickness tears of at least one-third of the cuff substance > 75% when using the dual-criteria standard. Ultrasound achieves comparable or better results than native magnetic resonance tomography at far less cost. False results can be excluded in the majority of cases by strict adherence to a dual-criteria model. The ability to display the joint's soft tissue structures in real time is unique up to now. The limits of sonography are (1) in the estimation of tear size in global tears as retraction of tendon stumps under the acromion cannot be visualized and (2) in the evaluation of status of rotator cuff muscles since volumetric information about atrophy can be gained by ultrasonography, but a differentiation between simple atrophy and fatty degeneration is not possible.

[Management of old neglected posttraumatic acromioclavicular joint instability and arthrosis]. / Die Behandlung veralteter, posttraumatischer Akromioklavikulargelenk-instabilitäten und -arthrosen.

UNLABELLED: Resection arthroplasty of the AC joint was performed in 42 cases of osteoarthrosis and residual instability of traumatic origin including 26 shoulders with horizontal instability of more than half of the width of the clavicula and lesions of the deltotrapezoid fascial complex (Rockwood type II: 7; type III: 9; type IV: 17; type V: 9). 23 cases were treated with a sole Weaver-Dunn procedure. 26 cases with horizontal instability and lesions of the deltotrapezoid fascia (Rockwood IV and V type) were treated in 7 cases with the standard Weaver-Dunn procedure and in 19 cases with a modified Weaver-Dunn procedure in combination with a coracoclavicular (3 x 1) and acromio-clavicular (1 x 1) 1 mm PDS string augmentation and double breasting fascioplasty of the deltotrapezoid complex. RESULTS: Successful results (in Patte-Score) after a minimum follow-up of 2 years (mean: 32 months) were reached in 88.4% of cases with only Weaver/Dunn procedure with a significant difference of good and excellent results in the horizontally stable group (93.8%) versus the horizontally unstable group (57.2%). In the group with horizontal instability and Weaver-Dunn procedure and complex additional stabilization with fascioplasty and PDS augmentation, 89.5% excellent and good results were found. CONCLUSION: Cases with horizontal instability (type Rockwood IV and V) seem to be over-represented among patients with failed conservative treatment. Resection arthroplasty with ligament transposition after Weaver/Dunn gives excellent results in posttraumatic osteoarthrosis with mainly vertical and moderate horizontal instability. In cases with advanced horizontal instability after Rockwood IV and V injuries, almost equal results can be reached by an additional coracoclavicular and acriomioclavicular PDS augmentation with deltotapezoid fascioplasty.

Treatment of old neglected dislocations of the AC-joint with residual instability and/or secondary osteoarthrosis.

Resection arthroplasty of the AC joint was performed in 42 cases of osteoarthrosis and residual instability of traumatic origin including 26 shoulders with horizontal instability of more than half of the width of the clacicula and lesions of the deltotrapezoid fascial complex (Rockwood type II: 7; type III: 9; type IV: 17; type V: 9). 23 cases were treated with a sole Weaver-Dunn procedure. 26 cases with horizontal instability and lesions of the deltotrapezoid fascia (Rockwood IV and V type) were treated in 7 cases with the standard Weaver-Dunn procedure and in 19 cases with a modified Weaver-Dunn procedure in combination with a coracoclavicular (3 × 1) and acromio-clavicular (1 × 1) 1 mm PDS string augmentation and double breasting fascioplasty of the deltotrapezoid complex. RESULTS: Successful results (in Patte-Score) after a minimum follow-up of 2 years (mean: 32 months) were reached in 88,4 % of cases with only Weaver/Dunn procedure with a significant difference of good and excellent results in the horizontally stable group (93.8 %) versus the horizontally unstable group (57.2 %). In the group with horizontal instability and Weaver-Dunn procedure and complex additional stabilization with fascioplasty and PDS augmentation, 89,5 % excellent and good results were found. CONCLUSION: Cases with horizontal instability (type Rockwood IV and V) seem to be overrepresented among patients with failed conservative treatment. Resection arthroplasty with ligament transposition after Weaver/Dunn gives excellent results in posttraumatic osteoarthrosis with mainly vertical and moderate horizontal instability. In cases with advanced horizontal instability after Rockwood IV and V injuries, almost equal results can be reached by an additional coracoclavicular and acriomioclavicular PDS augmentation with deltotapezoid fascioplasty.

[Results of surgical therapy of ruptures of the rotator cuff of the shoulder]. / Ergebnisse der operativen Therapie von Rupturen der Rotatorenmanschette der Schulter.

OBJECTIVE: This retrospective study was designed to evaluate mid-term results of patients after surgical treatment of rotator-cuff-tears by means of clinical and ultrasonographical examination with special regard to factors influencing the prognosis. METHOD: 126 patients were examined clinically and ultrasonographically at a mean postoperative period of 37 months after surgery for rotator cuff lesions. A conservative therapy failed to be successful for at least 3 months before. All patients received an open decompression of the subacromial space, 68.6% of the patients received an additional reconstruction of the rotator cuff. The results were evaluated by use of the Constant-Score. The ultrasonographical examination was performed according to the technique described by Hedtmann. RESULTS: 69% of the patients showed good and excellent results. The mean Constant-Score was 81.4% of the age- and sex-related normal values. Patients with lesions extending more than 3 cm did significantly worse than those with smaller ruptures (Constant-Score: 74.2% vs. 90.6%). An involvement of the subscapularis-tendon was related with bad results. A rerupture was seen ultrasonographically in 17.3% of the patients. CONCLUSION: Regarding strict criteria of evaluation almost 70% of our patients not responding to conservative treatment achieved good and excellent results after surgery. Smaller lesions and tears solely involving the supraspinatus-tendon were associated with a better prognosis. Ultrasonography allows a reliable examination of the rotator-cuff-anatomy postoperatively performed, too.

[Ultrasonography of the shoulder in subacromial syndromes with disorders and injuries of the rotator cuff]. / Schultersonographie bei Subakromialsyndromen mit Erkrankungen und Verletzungen der Rotatorenmanschette.

Shoulder sonography was performed prospectively in 4172 patients with 4588 shoulders affected with pathology of the subacromial space, among them 1227 operated cases with 425 rotator cuff tears (292 total tears and 133 partial tears). A two-criterion model with formal as well as echogenic and dynamic criteria was used for the diagnosis of cuff tears. The overall sensitivity in diagnosing rotator cuff tears was 95.3% (97.3% in total tears and 91.0% in partial tears). False-negative results were found overall in 1.6% of cases. Overall accuracy for all defects was 94.9%. Involvement of the supraspinatus tendon was found in 95.8%, of the infraspinatus in 39.3% and of the subscapularis in 10.1%. In 33.6% of cases, involvement of the long head of biceps was found. It was clearly correlated with the size of the tears: 25.9% in isolated supraspinatus tears and 68.8% in three-tendon tears of subscapularis, supraspinatus and infraspinatus. Differentiation between fresh, traumatic tears and degenerative tears is possible by means of measuring retraction, determining the length of the distal cuff stump and by formal criteria of the stump configuration as well as by bursal criteria. Differentiation of old tears of suspected traumatic origin from those with degenerative causes is impossible.

[Chemonucleolysis using chymopapain and collagenase. 3-year results of a prospective randomized study]. / Chemonukleolyse mit Chymopapain und Kollagenase. 3-Jahres-Ergebnisse einer prospektiv-randomisierten Studie.

100 patients were prospectively and randomized treated by chemonucleolysis either by collagenase (n = 50/400 ABC-U/disc) or by chymopapain (n = 50/4000 I.U.). The success rate after 1 year was 70% for collagenase and 78% after chymopapain, and 72%/80% after 3 years, respectively. Successful results increased significantly during the first year after treatment and remained stable after that point. After chymopapain, one case of successfully treated anaphylaxis (2%) occurred. After collagenase, 3 cases of secondary sequestrations were observed in cases with primarily closed discograms with intact dorsal longitudinal ligament.

[Ultrasound control of the repositioning of hip dislocation in a child in the unstable phase of splint retention (Hanausek position)]. / Sonographische Repositionskontrolle kindlicher Luxationshüften in der instabilen Phase der Schienenretention (Hanausekposition).

In CDH ultrasound control of reduction in the unstable period of the first 3 months has to be performed by an inguinal access, as the splint can not be removed for the reason of high risks of redislocation. Controls are possible whenever required, according to anglo-american techniques. Thus treatment within the first year of life may be controlled by ultrasound imaging alone. Criteria for detection of posterior and cranial redislocation as well as for the anterior positioning of the femoral head are given.

[So-called humero-scapular periarthropathy--classification and analysis based on 1,266 cases]. / Die sogenannte Periarthropathia humeroscapularis--Klassifizierung und Analyse anhand von 1266 Fällen.

1266 cases of Periarthropathia humeroscapularis (PHS) were analyzed according to their clinical and sonographic findings. We found in 32.8% a PHS simplex (simple tendinitis), in 12.6% a PHS adhäsiva (stiff and painful shoulder with intact cuff), in 17% a PHS calcarea (calcareous tendinitis) and in 33.3% a PHS destructiva (rotator cuff lesions). Isolated tendinitis of long head of biceps was rare (0.7%). Frozen shoulder (adhaesive capsulitis) was differentiated from PHS adhäsiva and accounted of 1.9%. 33.3% of frozen shoulder patients suffered from type I Diabetes mellitus. Women were more affected by PHS calcarea and Frozen Shoulder. The average age of patients with PHS adhäsiva and PHS destructiva was definitely higher than that of PHS simplex cases. PHS adhäsiva and Frozen Shoulder had an even distribution of affected sides, whereas the right side was favoured from 1.7:1 (PHS calcarea and PHS destructiva) to 3.5:1 (isolated bicipital tendinitis). Cases of rotator cuff tears were stiff in 33.7%, and had active limited motion (pseudoparalysis) in 28.5%.

[Magnetic resonance tomography studies with contrast media in post-discotomy syndrome]. / Kernspintomographische Untersuchungen mit Kontrastmitteln beim Postdiskotomie-Syndrom.

The syndrome encompassing failed back-surgery is a relatively uniform combination of complaints caused by a variety of pathological changes in the lumbar spine, alone or in various combinations. The MRI's capability of detecting these factors is described. MRI can detect recurrent disc herniations and separate them from intradural and/or extradural scar formation. With further experience, MRI might also be able to assess instability of the lumbar spine motion segments. MRI is not very helpful in detecting neural lesions or facette syndromes. For this kind of pathology, advances in diagnosis will depend on the further improvement of neuro- and electrophysiological tests. The same applies to the diagnosis of cases of spinal stenosis. The size of the spinal canal can be measured by MRI as well as by other modalities. These results just point out the risk of disease - not the disease itself.