• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.197-205
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• 2015

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the postoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) results of minimal-tying (one medial-row tie among 4 medial-row sutures) on the medial-row in double-row suture-bridge configuration ($2{\times}2$ anchor with $4{\times}4$ suture stands). Methods: From 2011 March to 2012 July, 79 patients underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair using $2{\times}2$ anchor double-row configuration. The mean age was 61.3 years (range, 31-81 years). Two double-loaded suture anchors were used for medial-row. Four medial-row stitches were made with only one medial-row knot-tying (the most anterior suture). Lateral-row was secured using the conventional suture-bridge anchor technique; all 4 strands were used for each anchor. Repair integrity was evaluated with MRI at mean 6.2 months postoperatively. Retear and the pattern of retear, change of fatty infiltration, and muscle atrophy of supraspinatus were evaluated using pre- and postoperative MRI. Results: Repaired tendon integrity was 38 for type I, 30 for type II, 6 for type III, 4 for type IV, and 1 for type V, according to Sugaya classification. Considering type IV/V as retear, the rate was 6.3% (5 out of 79 patients). Medial cuff failure was observed in 4 patients. Fatty atrophy of supraspinatus was significantly improved postoperatively according to Goutallier grading (p=0.01). The level of muscle atrophy of supraspinatus was not changed significantly after surgery. Conclusions: Minimal tying technique with suture configuration of four-by-four strand double-row suture-bridge yielded a lower retear rate (6.3%) in medium to large rotator cuff tears.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.207-212
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• 2018

Background: Delaminated rotator cuff tear is known to be a degenerative tear having a negative prognostic effect. This study undertook to compare the anatomical and clinical outcomes of delaminated tears and single layer tears. Methods: Totally, 175 patients with medium to large rotator cuff tears enrolled for the study were divided into 2 groups, based on the tear pathology: single layer tear (group 1) and delaminated tear (group 2). Preoperatively, length of the remnant tendon, muscle atrophy of supraspinatus (SS), and fatty degeneration of SS and infraspinatus (IS) muscles were assessed on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). For follow-up, the repair integrity of the rotator cuff was evaluated by ultrasonography. Clinical outcomes were assessed by evaluating the Constant score (CS) and Korean Shoulder Score (KSS). Results: Retears were detected in 6 cases of group 1 (6.5%) and 11 cases of group 2 (13.3%). Although higher in group 2, the retear rate was significantly not different (p=0.133). Preoperative MRI revealed length of remnant tendon to be $15.46{\pm}3.60mm$ and $14.17{\pm}3.16mm$ (p=0.013), and muscle atrophy of SS (occupation ratio) was $60.54{\pm}13.15$ and $56.55{\pm}12.88$ (p=0.045), in group 1 and group 2, respectively. Fatty degeneration of SS and IS in both groups had no significant differences. Postoperatively, no significant differences were observed for CS and KSS values between the groups. Conclusions: Delaminated rotator cuff tears showed shorter remnant tendon length and higher muscle atrophy that correlate to a negative prognosis. These prognostic effects should be considered during delaminated rotator cuff tear treatment.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.60-66
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• 2016

Background: Management of massive rotator cuff tears can be challenging because of the less satisfactory results and a higher retear rate regardless of the use of open or arthroscopic repair technique. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 102 cases of massive rotator cuff tear treated with either open or arthroscopic repair. Open repair was performed in 38 patients; and arthroscopic repair, in 64 patients. The mean age at the time of surgery was 59.7 years in the open group and 57.6 years in the arthroscopic group. Results: The Constant score increased from the preoperative mean of 55.9 to 73.2 at the last follow-up in the open repair group and from 53.8 to 67.6 in the arthroscopic repair group (p<0.001 and <0.001, respectively). The University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) score increased from a preoperative mean of 17.7 to 30.8 at the last follow-up in the open group and from 17.5 to 28.7 in the arthroscopic group (p<0.001 and <0.001, respectively). No statistically significant difference in the Constant and UCLA scores was observed between the two groups at the last follow-up (p=0.128 and 0.087, respectively). Retear was found in 14 patients (36.8%) in the open group and 39 patients (60.9%) in the arthroscopic group (p=0.024). Conclusions: Open and arthroscopic repairs of massive rotator cuff tears may provide satisfactory clinical results with no significant difference. However, a significantly lower retear rate was observed for the open repair group compared with the arthroscopic repair group.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.48-58
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• 2020

Although the prevalence of rotator cuff tears is dependent on the size, 11% to 94% of patients experience retear or healing failure after rotator cuff repair. Treatment of patients with failed rotator cuff repair ranges widely, from conservative treatment to arthroplasty. This review article attempts to summarize the most recent and relevant surgical options for failed rotator cuff repair patients, and the outcomes of each treatment, except arthroplasty.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.105-112
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• 2017

Rotator cuff tears commonly affect the shoulder joints. Despite developments in surgical techniques and instrumentation, the treatment of massive rotator cuff tears remains challenging. The problems associated with rotator cuff repairs, such as inferior mechanical properties and high retear rates are yet to be solved. Recently, patch augmentation has been suggested as an alternative treatment because it can reinforce mechanical properties at the initial stage of healing and reduce gap formation. The purpose of this article was to comprehensively summarize the concepts and the consensus surrounding patch augmentation and evaluate the clinical and anatomical outcomes after patch augmentation for massive rotator cuff tears.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.18 no.2
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• pp.113-118
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• 2015

Rotator cuff tear is a common reason for shoulder pain. Although the surgical technique of rotator cuff repair is developing, high retear rate requires additional supplementary methods. Among these supplementary methods, as a kind of biologic augmentation, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) has been spotlighted and has recently been studied by many researchers. PRP, a concentrate of platelet extract obtained from whole blood, contains numerous growth factors. As this is known to play an important role in the tissue recovery process, it had been used for research in a variety of fields including orthopedics. Use of PRP has been attempted in surgical treatments of rotator cuff tear for better results; however, only a few large-scale research studies on the effect of PRP have been reported. Clinical results of each study are also variable. Therefore research using large-scale randomized, double-blind trials should be conducted in order to prove the application range, safety, and clinical effects of PRP.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.183-189
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• 2019

Background: Since the establishment of biological augmentation to improve the treatment of rotator cuff tears, it is imperative to explore newer techniques to reduce the retear rate and improve long-term shoulder function after rotator cuff repair. This study was undertaken to determine the consequences of a gel-type atelocollagen injection during arthroscopic rotator cuff repair on clinical outcomes, and evaluate its effect on structural integrity. Methods: Between January 2014 and June 2015, 121 patients with full thickness rotator cuff tears underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Of these, 61 patients were subjected to arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in combination with an atelocollagen injection (group I), and 60 patients underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair alone (group II). The visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain and the Korean Shoulder Society (KSS) scores were evaluated preoperatively and postoperatively. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed at 6 months postoperatively, to assess the integrity of the repair. Results: VAS scores were significantly lower in group I than in group II at 3, 7, and 14 days after surgery. KSS scores showed no significant difference between groups in the 24 months period of follow-up. No significant difference was obtained in the healing rate of the rotator cuff tear at 6 months postoperatively (p=0.529). Conclusions: Although a gel-type atelocollagen injection results in reduced pain in patients at 2 weeks after surgery, our study does not substantiate the administration of atelocollagen during rotator cuff repair to improve the clinical outcomes and healing of the rotator cuff.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.22-27
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• 2022

Background: In some patients with rotator cuff tear (RCT), the axial view of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) shows subtle posterior decentering (PD) of the humeral head from the glenoid fossa. This is considered to result from a loss of centralization that is typically produced by rotator cuff function. There are few reports on PD in RCT despite the common occurrence of posterior subluxation in degenerative joint disease. In this study, we investigated the effect of PD in arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR). Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of consecutive patients who underwent ARCR at our institute and were followed-up for at least 1 year. PD was identified as a 2-mm posterior shift of the humeral head relative to the glenoid fossa in the axial MRI view preoperatively. The tear size and fatty degeneration (FD, Goutallier classification) were also evaluated using preoperative MRI. Retears were evaluated through MRI at 1 year postoperatively. Results: We included 135 shoulders in this study. Ten instances of PD (including seven retears) were observed preoperatively. Fifteen retears (three and 12 retears in the small/medium and large/massive tear groups, respectively) were observed postoperatively. PD was significantly correlated with tear size, FD, and retear occurrence (p<0.01 each). The odds ratio for PD in retears was 34.1, which was greater than that for tear size ≥3 cm and FD grade ≥3. Conclusions: We concluded that large tear size and FD contribute to the occurrence of PD. Furthermore, PD could be a predictor of retear after ARCR.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.56 no.1
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• pp.61-67
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• 2021

Purpose: To evaluate the prognostic factors affecting poor functional outcomes in patients with retear after rotator cuff repair. Materials and Methods: From January 2013 to December 2018, among 631 patients who underwent arthroscopic repair of a rotator cuff tear, 42 patients, who could be followed-up for more than one year and showed a retear of the repaired cuff on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), were collected retrospectively. The preoperative demographic data, range of motion, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, fatty degeneration, and tear progression on postoperative MRI, as well as other factors that could affect the clinical outcomes, were analyzed. Patients who scored <80 points on the ASES score were allocated to the poor function group. The risk factors for poor clinical outcomes were compared with the group with ASES scores of 80 or above. Results: The postoperative functional results in the group with retear (n=42) after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair showed significant improvement. Univariate analysis revealed the preoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) score and tear progression to have associations with a poor shoulder function. In addition, subscapularis repair was found to be associated with a good shoulder function. The preoperative VAS score and tear progression except for subscapularis repair were independent factors associated with poor clinical outcomes according to multivariate logistic regression analysis. Conclusion: In patients with retear after rotator cuff repair, the preoperative VAS and tear progression in postoperative MRI are factors predicting a poor functional outcome.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.147-155
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• 2021

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the co-administration effect of atelocollagen combined with hyaluronic acid (HA) injections for treatment of full-thickness rotator cuff tear (RCT). Methods: Eighty patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair for full-thickness RCT from March 2018 to November 2019 were enrolled. The patients were randomly allocated to the following groups: combined atelocollagen and HA injection (group I, n=28), only HA injection (group II, n=26), and no injection (group III, n=26). Clinical outcomes were assessed at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery using the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, visual analog scale pain score, functional scores (pain visual analog scale, function visual analog score), and range of motion. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed 12 months after surgery to evaluate rotator cuff integrity. Results: Preoperative demographic data and postoperative clinical outcomes did not differ significantly among the three groups (p>0.05). However, in group I, the number of steroid injections after surgery was significantly lower than that in the other groups (p=0.011). The retear rate on follow-up magnetic resonance imaging was significantly higher in group II (9.5%, n=2) and group III (13.6%, n=3) than in group I (0%) (p=0.021). Conclusions: Co-administration of atelocollagen and HA improves healing of the rotator cuff and increases the integrity of the rotator cuff repair site. This study provides encouraging evidence for use of combined atelocollagen-HA injections to treat patients with full-thickness RCT.