• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.96-103
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• 2008

Purpose: This study investigated the rate of retear and related factors after arthroscopic repair of rotator cuff tears involving more than one tendon. Materials & Methods: Arthroscopic repair of 22 rotator cuff tears (average size 3.2cm: average age 58 years old) involving the supraspinatus and part or all of the infraspinatus were investigated using MRI on average 10 months after repair. The status of the repaired cuff was investigated using Sugaya's classification, and the change in muscle was evaluated with Goutallier's classification. Results: Retear (Sugaya grade IV, V) was found in 7cases(32%). Tears larger than 3cm had a higher retear rate(67%) than smaller tears(8%). Retear cases had Goutallier grade II or higher muscle changes preoperatively and showed aggravation of muscle atrophy postoperatively. Even without retear, reversal of muscle change was not seen Conclusion: Rotator cuff tears not confined to the supraspinatus had a 32% retear rate after arthroscopic repair. The size of the tear was the most crucial factor influencing retear. Retear was frequent in tear over 3cm. Atrophy of the cuff muscle worsened when the repair failed but did not improve even without retear.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.115-125
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• 2009

Purpose: The purpose of the study is to evaluate the usefulness of CT arthrography (CTA) by conducting a comparative study of CTA and MR arthrography (MRA) with the arthroscopic findings in the same patients. Materials and methods: Forty nine patients who suffered from shoulder disease underwent MRA and CTA concurrently. The sensitivity and specificity of CTA was evaluated, as compared to MRA, in the case of four types of shoulder pathological lesions. The accuracy of CTA was evaluated by analyzing the arthroscopic findings of thirty four patients. Results: Compared to MRA, CTA showed a sensitivity of 90% and a specificity of 100% for diagnosing supraspinatus tendon (SST) full thickness tear, and CTA showed a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 97.5% for making the diagnosis of superior labrum anterior to posterior (SLAP) lesion. For diagnosing partial articular side supraspinatus avulsion (PASTA) lesion, some studies have shown the usefulness of CTA with a sensitivity of 71.4% and a specificity of 97.7%. However, for diagnosing SST bursal side partial tear, the sensitivity of CTA was as low as 10%. CTA has been shown to be relatively accurate when the diagnoses were verified with the arthroscopic findings; diagnosing SST full thickness tear and SLAP lesion with CTA has shown an accuracy of 100% and87.5% respectively, and CTA showed 71.4% diagnostic accuracy for PASTA lesion. Conclusion: CTA was a useful tool and it was equivalent to MRA for the assessment of SST full thickness tear, SLAP lesion and PASTA lesion, but not bursal side partial tear. Thus, it may be used preferably to diagnose shoulder pathology and for follow up as an inexpensive tool after operation.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.12 no.2
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• pp.199-206
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• 2009

Purpose: Our goal for this study was to prospectively evaluate the functional & structural outcomes, by means of CT arthroscopy, of arthroscopic double-row fixation for treating rotator cuff tear. We also attempted to determine the variants that affect the functional & structural outcomes. Materials and Methods: Twenty seven consecutive patients underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with double-row fixation. The average age at the time of the operation was fifty six years. The preoperative and postoperative examinations consisted of determining the Constant score, the score for the visual analogue scale for pain, the UCLA score, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, as well as a full physical examination of the shoulder. Preoperative MR arthrography was used to evaluate the integrity and atrophy of the rotator cuff. We measured the intraoperative tear size in the sagittal and coronal planes. Postoperative CT arthrography was used at one year postoperatively to evaluate the integrity and atrophy of the repaired tendons and muscles. Results: Preoperative MR arthrography revealed an average 29.22 mm tear size in the sagittal plane and an average 22.72 mm tear size in the coronal plane. Twelve cases of supraspinatus muscle atrophy and two cases of infraspinatus atrophy were observed on the preoperative MR arthrography. The average clinical outcome scores all significantly improved at the time of follow-up. At a mean of one year postoperatively, CT arthrography revealed 48.1% of the shoulders had healed, 11.1% showed incomplete healing and 40.7% showed retear of the repaired tendon. Conclusion: Arthroscopic double-row repair can result in improved clinical outcomes and good patient satisfaction. However, the problems about how to enhance healing of the repaired tendon still remain.

• Journal of the Korean Arthroscopy Society
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.49-52
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• 2010

Purpose: We introduce arthroscopically assisted mini-open rotator cuff repair using anterolateral approach. Operative Technique: Placing lateral decubitus position on general anesthesia, a standard arthroscopic glenohumeral examination is performed to evaluate lesions of shoulder joint through posterior and anterior portal. And then arthroscope is placed in the subacromial space and we evaluate the size of the torn tendon and perform arthroscopic acromioplasty through lateral portal. A 3 to 4 cm skin incision is performed from anterolateral edge of acromion to distal and dissected along to raphe between anterior and middle deltoid. A deltoid retractor is then placed, allowing direct visualization of the rotator cuff and humeral head. As torn tendon is tagged by traction suture, we try to anatomical reduction on the footprint and then perform single row or double row repair of the rotator cuff using suture anchors. To prevent avulsion of the deltoid from the acromion, additional sutures by bone tunnel with acromion and deltoid is performed. Conclusion: This technique is useful procedure to get direct approach to anterior portion of supraspinatus tendon and to need lesser deltoid retraction than portal extension approach due to dividing along to raphe between anterior and middle deltoid. Also it provide better visualization of the superior portion of subscapularis and infraspinatus.

• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.19-25
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• 1998

Appropriate clinical examination and imaging may lead to early diagnosis and treatment of the shoulder impingement syndrome, thus preventing progressing to a complete tear of rotator cuff. The impingement syndrome was caused by repeated entrapment and compression of supraspinatus tendon between the proximal end of humerus inferiorly, particullary its greater tuberosity. and one or m <)re component of coracoacromial arch superiorly. The purpose of this study is to critically, evaluate the result of twenty-five consecutive subacromial decompression with impingement syndrome and to assess the diagnostic accuracy of MR imaging by using oblique coronal and oblique sagittal plan. These patients were treated by arthroscopic subacromial decompression after their pains failed to improve with conservative therapy over three month. The average follow up was 25 month(range, 12 to 50). The mean age was 43 year old. The results were rated based on subjective response and the UCLA shoulder rating scale of the result. Ten patients(40%) were rated as excellent, 11patients(44%) were good. while four patients(16%) were fair. Radiologic evaluation suggested that the oblique sagittal plan of MRI can be helpful in evaluation of bony and soft-tissue structure of the coracoacromial arch and determining depth of bony resection. There were no infection or neurovascular injury. In reviewing our result, it appears that the arthroscopic subacromial decompression can be successful sugery for shoulder impingement syndrome and diagnostic accuracy of supplimentary oblique sagittal view of MRI was relatively higher than oblique coronal view alone for apprqpriate surgical plan.

• Journal of the Korean Orthopaedic Association
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.38-45
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• 2020

Purpose: To examine the clinical and structural outcomes of an at least two-year follow-up of arthroscopic full-thickness rotator cuff repairs with a single-row or suture-bridge technique in patients more than 65 years of age. Materials and Methods: Patients diagnosed with a full-thickness rotator cuff tear who were more than 65 years of age, underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair after at least six months of conservative treatment, agreed to take a follow-up magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) six months postoperatively, and visited outpatient for at least two years were enrolled in this study. Clinical evaluations were done using The University of California Los Angeles score, Constant Shoulder Score, and visual analogue scale evaluated two years after the surgery. The structural integrity was analyzed using follow-up MRI. During surgery, a suture-bridge technique was used if the rotator cuff tendon could cover half of the footprint under constant tension. Otherwise, single-row repair was performed. Results: The samples were 158 cases, consisting of 93 single-repairs and 65 suture-bridge repairs. A preoperative comparison of the age distribution, fatty degeneration of supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscle, medial retraction of torn cuff tendon, and tear size between the two groups were not significant. The clinical scores were improved significantly in all cases. The distribution of the structural integrity by Sugaya classification were 49 cases in type 1 (31.0%), 62 cases in type 2 (39.2%), 30 cases in type 3 (19.0%), 11 cases in type 4 (7.0%), and six cases in type 5 (3.8%). The re-tear rate of the single-row group was 9.7% (nine out of 93 cases) and 12.3% (eight out of 65 cases) for the suture-bridge group. Conclusion: Satisfactory clinical and radiological outcomes were achieved after arthroscopic full-thickness rotator cuff repair in patients more than 65 years of age. Both single-row and suture-bridge techniques would be beneficial for the elderly.