Aims

The aim of the LightFix Trial was to evaluate the clinical outcomes for one year after the treatment of impending and completed pathological fractures of the humerus using the IlluminOss System (IS), and to analyze the performance of this device.

The December 2024 Shoulder & Elbow Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: Predicting recurrence of instability after a primary traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation; Predictors of surgery and long-term outcomes in nonoperative management of full-thickness rotator cuff tears; Reverse shoulder arthroplasty viable despite acquired acromial compromise, but higher infection risk noted; LP-PRP reduces retear rates in rotator cuff repair but shows no functional outcome advantage; Long-term clinical outcomes of arthroscopic supraspinatus tendon repair using the single anchor tension band technique – minimum five-year follow-up; Arthroscopic stabilization for anterior shoulder dislocation shows low recurrence rates regardless of prior dislocations; ORIF outperforms arthroplasty for complex radial head fractures: mid-term outcomes; Routine use of surgical helmet systems may not reduce infection risk in shoulder arthroplasty.

Aims

We sought to compare functional outcomes and survival between non-smokers, former smokers, and current smokers who underwent anatomical total shoulder arthroplasty (aTSA) in a large cohort of patients.

Aims

Reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) has become the most common type of shoulder arthroplasty used in the UK, and a better understanding of the outcomes after revision of a failed RSA is needed. The aim of this study was to review the current evidence systematically to determine patient-reported outcome measures and the rates of re-revision and complications for patients undergoing revision of a RSA.

Aims. The purpose of this study was to develop a convolutional neural network (CNN) for fracture detection, classification, and identification of greater tuberosity displacement ≥ 1 cm, neck-shaft angle (NSA) ≤ 100°, shaft translation, and articular fracture involvement, on plain radiographs. Methods. The CNN was trained and tested on radiographs sourced from 11 hospitals in Australia and externally validated on radiographs from the Netherlands. Each radiograph was paired with corresponding CT scans to serve as the reference standard based on dual independent evaluation by trained researchers and attending orthopaedic surgeons. Presence of a fracture, classification (non- to minimally displaced; two-part, multipart, and glenohumeral dislocation), and four characteristics were determined on 2D and 3D CT scans and subsequently allocated to each series of radiographs. Fracture characteristics included greater tuberosity displacement ≥ 1 cm, NSA ≤ 100°, shaft translation (0% to < 75%, 75% to 95%, > 95%), and the extent of articular involvement (0% to < 15%, 15% to 35%, or > 35%). Results. For detection and classification, the algorithm was trained on 1,709 radiographs (n = 803), tested on 567 radiographs (n = 244), and subsequently externally validated on 535 radiographs (n = 227). For characterization, healthy shoulders and glenohumeral dislocation were excluded. The overall accuracy for fracture detection was 94% (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) = 0.98) and for classification 78% (AUC 0.68 to 0.93). Accuracy to detect greater tuberosity fracture displacement ≥ 1 cm was 35.0% (AUC 0.57). The CNN did not recognize NSAs ≤ 100° (AUC 0.42), nor fractures with ≥ 75% shaft translation (AUC 0.51 to 0.53), or with ≥ 15% articular involvement (AUC 0.48 to 0.49). For all objectives, the model’s performance on the external dataset showed similar accuracy levels. Conclusion. CNNs proficiently rule out proximal humerus fractures on plain radiographs. Despite rigorous training methodology based on CT imaging with multi-rater consensus to serve as the reference standard, artificial intelligence-driven classification is insufficient for clinical implementation. The CNN exhibited poor diagnostic ability to detect greater tuberosity displacement ≥ 1 cm and failed to identify NSAs ≤ 100°, shaft translations, or articular fractures. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2024;106-B(11):1348–1360

Aims. This study aims to describe a new method that may be used as a supplement to evaluate humeral rotational alignment during intramedullary nail (IMN) insertion using the profile of the perpendicular peak of the greater tuberosity and its relation to the transepicondylar axis. We called this angle the greater tuberosity version angle (GTVA). Methods. This study analyzed 506 cadaveric humeri of adult patients. All humeri were CT scanned using 0.625 × 0.625 × 0.625 mm cubic voxels. The images acquired were used to generate 3D surface models of the humerus. Next, 3D landmarks were automatically calculated on each 3D bone using custom-written C++ software. The anatomical landmarks analyzed were the transepicondylar axis, the humerus anatomical axis, and the peak of the perpendicular axis of the greater tuberosity. Lastly, the angle between the transepicondylar axis and the greater tuberosity axis was calculated and defined as the GTVA. Results. The value of GTVA was 20.9° (SD 4.7°) (95% CI 20.47° to 21.3°). Results of analysis of variance revealed that females had a statistically significant larger angle of 21.95° (SD 4.49°) compared to males, which were found to be 20.49° (SD 4.8°) (p = 0.001). Conclusion. This study identified a consistent relationship between palpable anatomical landmarks, enhancing IMN accuracy by utilizing 3D CT scans and replicating a 20.9° angle from the greater tuberosity to the transepicondylar axis. Using this angle as a secondary reference may help mitigate the complications associated with malrotation of the humerus following IMN. However, future trials are needed for clinical validation. Cite this article: Bone Jt Open 2024;5(10):929–936

Aims. The risk factors for recurrent instability (RI) following a primary traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation (PTASD) remain unclear. In this study, we aimed to determine the rate of RI in a large cohort of patients managed nonoperatively after PTASD and to develop a clinical prediction model. Methods. A total of 1,293 patients with PTASD managed nonoperatively were identified from a trauma database (mean age 23.3 years (15 to 35); 14.3% female). We assessed the prevalence of RI, and used multivariate regression modelling to evaluate which demographic- and injury-related factors were independently predictive for its occurrence. Results. The overall rate of RI at a mean follow-up of 34.4 months (SD 47.0) was 62.8% (n = 812), with 81.0% (n = 658) experiencing their first recurrence within two years of PTASD. The median time for recurrence was 9.8 months (IQR 3.9 to 19.4). Independent predictors increasing risk of RI included male sex (p < 0.001), younger age at PTASD (p < 0.001), participation in contact sport (p < 0.001), and the presence of a bony Bankart (BB) lesion (p = 0.028). Greater tuberosity fracture (GTF) was protective (p < 0.001). However, the discriminative ability of the resulting predictive model for two-year risk of RI was poor (area under the curve (AUC) 0.672). A subset analysis excluding identifiable radiological predictors of BB and GTF worsened the predictive ability (AUC 0.646). Conclusion. This study clarifies the prevalence and risk factors for RI following PTASD in a large, unselected patient cohort. Although these data permitted the development of a predictive tool for RI, its discriminative ability was poor. Predicting RI remains challenging, and as-yet-undetermined risk factors may be important in determining the risk. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2024;106-B(10):1111–1117

The June 2024 Shoulder & Elbow Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: Reverse versus anatomical total shoulder replacement for osteoarthritis? A UK national picture; Acute rehabilitation following traumatic anterior shoulder dislocation (ARTISAN): pragmatic, multicentre, randomized controlled trial; acid for rotator cuff repair: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials; Metal or ceramic humeral head total shoulder arthroplasty: an analysis of data from the National Joint Registry; Platelet-rich plasma has better results for long-term functional improvement and pain relief for lateral epicondylitis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials; Quantitative fatty infiltration and 3D muscle volume after nonoperative treatment of symptomatic rotator cuff tears: a prospective MRI study of 79 patients; Locking plates for non-osteoporotic proximal humeral fractures in the long term; A systematic review of the treatment of primary acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis.

Aims

This study aimed to assess the impact of using the metal-augmented glenoid baseplate (AGB) on improving clinical and radiological outcomes, as well as reducing complications, in patients with superior glenoid wear undergoing reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA).

The February 2024 Trauma Roundup³⁶⁰ looks at: Posterior malleolus fractures: what about medium-sized fragments?; Acute or delayed total hip arthroplasty after acetabular fracture fixation?; Intrawound antibiotics reduce the risk of deep infections in fracture fixation; Does the VANCO trial represent real world patients?; Can a restrictive transfusion protocol be effective beyond initial resuscitation?; What risk factors result in avascular necrosis of the talus?; Pre-existing anxiety and mood disorders have a role to play in complex regional pain syndrome; Three- and four-part proximal humeral fractures at ten years.

Introduction. We aim to assess whether radiographic characteristics of the greater tuberosity fragment can predict rotator cuff tears inpatients with anterior shoulder dislocations combined with an isolated fracture of the greater tuberosity. Methods. A retrospective single-centre case series of 61 consecutive patients that presented with anterior shoulder dislocations combined with an isolated fracture of the greater tuberosity between January 2018 and July 2022. Inclusion criteria: patients with atraumatic anterior shoulder dislocation associated with an isolated fracture of the greater tuberosity with a minimum follow-up of 3-months. Exclusion criteria: patients with other fractures of the proximal humerus or glenoid. Rotator cuff tears were diagnosed using magnetic resonance or ultrasound imaging. Greater tuberosity fragment size and displacement was calculated on plain radiographs using validated methods. Results. The case series was composed of 22 men and 39 women with a mean age of 65 years (29 - 91 years). The mean follow-up was 15months and median follow up 8.5 months (3 – 60 months). A rotator cuff tear was diagnosed in 14 patients (16%) and involved the supraspinatus (13), infraspinatus (4) and subscapularis (2). Full-thickness tears occurred in 6 patients and partial-thickness tears in 8patients. The mean time from initial injury to rotator cuff tear diagnosis was 5 months (2 – 22 months). The mean greater tuberosity fragment length was 23.4 mm in rotator cuff tear patients versus 32.6 mm in those without a tear (p = 0.006, CI: -15 - -2). The mean greater tuberosity. fragment width was 11.1 mm in rotator cuff tear patients versus 17.8 mm in those without a tear (p = 0.0004, CI: -10 - -2). There was no significant difference in the super inferior and anteroposterior fragment displacement between the two groups. Conclusion. In patients with shoulder dislocations combined with an isolated fracture of the greater tuberosity, rotator cuff tears are associated with a smaller sized greater tuberosity fragment

A fracture of the tuberosity is associated with 16% of anterior glenohumeral dislocations. Manipulation of these injuries in the emergency department is safe with less than 1% risk of fracture propagation. However, there is a risk of associated neurological injury, recurrent instability and displacement of the greater tuberosity fragment. The risks and outcomes of these complications have not previously been reported. The purpose of this study was to establish the incidence and outcome of complications associated with this pattern of injury. We reviewed 339 consecutive glenohumeral dislocations with associated greater tuberosity fractures from a prospective trauma database. Documentation and radiographs were studied and the incidence of neurovascular compromise, greater tuberosity fragment migration and intervention and recurrent instability recorded. The mean age was 61 years (range, 18–96) with a female preponderance (140:199 male:female). At presentation 24% (n=78) patients had a nerve injury, with axillary nerve being most common (n=43, 55%). Of those patients with nerve injuries 15 (19%) did not resolve. Greater tuberosity displacement >5mm was observed in 36% (n=123) of patients with 40 undergoing acute surgery, the remainder did not due to comorbidities or patient choice. Persistent displacement after reduction accounted for 60 cases, later displacement within 6 weeks occurred in 63 patients. Recurrent instability occurred in 4 (1%) patients. Patient reported outcomes were poor with average EQ5D being 0.73, QDASH score of 16 and Oxford Shoulder Score of 41. Anterior glenohumeral dislocation with associated greater tuberosity fracture is common with poor long term patient reported outcomes. Our results demonstrate there is a high rate of neurological deficits at presentation with the majority resolving spontaneously. Recurrent instability is rare. Late tuberosity fragment displacement occurs in 18% of patients and regular follow-up for 6 weeks is recommended to detect this

The August 2023 Shoulder & Elbow Roundup360 looks at: Motor control or strengthening exercises for rotator cuff-related shoulder pain? A multi-arm randomized controlled trial; Does the choice of antibiotic prophylaxis influence reoperation rate in primary shoulder arthroplasty?; Common shoulder injuries in sport: grading the evidence; The use of medial support screw was associated with axillary nerve injury after plate fixation of proximal humeral fracture using a minimally invasive deltoid-splitting approach; MRI predicts outcomes of conservative treatment in patients with lateral epicondylitis; Association between surgeon volume and patient outcomes after elective shoulder arthroplasty; Arthroscopic decompression of calcific tendinitis without cuff repair; Functional outcome after nonoperative management of minimally displaced greater tuberosity fractures and predictors of poorer patient experience

Aims. The outcomes following nonoperative management of minimally displaced greater tuberosity (GT) fractures, and the factors which influence patient experience, remain poorly defined. We assessed the early patient-derived outcomes following these injuries and examined the effect of a range of demographic- and injury-related variables on these outcomes. Methods. In total, 101 patients (53 female, 48 male) with a mean age of 50.9 years (19 to 76) with minimally displaced GT fractures were recruited to a prospective observational cohort study. During the first year after injury, patients underwent experiential assessment using the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score and assessment of associated injuries using MRI performed within two weeks of injury. The primary outcome was the one-year DASH score. Multivariate analysis was used to assess the effect of patient demographic factors, complications, and associated injuries, on outcome. Results. The mean DASH score improved from 42.3 (SD 9.6) at six weeks post-injury, to 19.5 (SD 14.3) at one-year follow-up (p < 0.001), but outcomes were mixed, with 30 patients having a DASH score > 30 at one year. MRI revealed a range of associated injuries, with a full-thickness rotator cuff tear present in 19 patients (19%). Overall, 11 patients (11%) developed complications requiring further operative intervention; 20 patients (21%) developed post-traumatic secondary shoulder stiffness. Multivariate analysis revealed a high-energy mechanism (p = 0.009), tobacco consumption (p = 0.033), use of mobility aids (p = 0.047), a full-thickness rotator cuff tear (p = 0.002), and the development of post-traumatic secondary shoulder stiffness (p = 0.035) were independent predictors of poorer outcome. Conclusion. The results of nonoperative management of minimally displaced GT fractures are heterogeneous. While many patients have satisfactory early outcomes, a substantial subgroup fare much worse. There is a high prevalence of rotator cuff injuries and post-traumatic shoulder stiffness, and their presence is associated with poorer patient experience. Furthermore, patients who have a high-energy injury, smoke, or use walking aids, have worse outcomes. Cite this article: Bone Joint J 2023;105-B(5):534–542

This study aims to investigate the mechanical properties of a rotator cuff tear repaired with a polypropylene interposition graft in an ovine infraspinatus ex-vivo model. Twenty fresh shoulders from skeletally mature sheep were used in this study. A tear size of 20 mm from the tendon joint was created in the infraspinatus tendon to simulate a large tear in fifteen specimens. This was repaired with a polypropylene mesh used as an interposition graft between the ends of the tendon. Eight specimens were secured with mattress stitches while seven were secured to the remnant tendon on the greater tuberosity side by continuous stitching. Remaining five specimens with an intact tendon served as a control group. All specimens underwent cyclic loading with a universal testing machine to determine the ultimate failure load and gap distance. Gap distance increased with progressive cyclic loading through 3000 cycles for all repaired specimens. Mean gap distance after 3000 cycles for both continuous and mattress groups are 1.7 mm and 4.2 mm respectively (P = .001). Significantly higher mean ultimate failure load was also observed with 549.2 N in the continuous group, 426.6 N in the mattress group and 370 N in the intact group. The use of a polypropylene mesh as an interposition graft for large irreparable rotator cuff tears is biomechanically suitable and results in a robust repair that is comparable to an intact rotator cuff tendon. When paired with a continuous suturing technique, it demonstrates significantly resultant superior biomechanical properties that may potentially reduce re-tear rates after repairing large or massive rotator cuff tears

Aims

It has been established that mechanical stimulation benefits tendon-bone (T-B) healing, and macrophage phenotype can be regulated by mechanical cues; moreover, the interaction between macrophages and mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) plays a fundamental role in tissue repair. This study aimed to investigate the role of macrophage-mediated MSC chondrogenesis in load-induced T-B healing in depth.

Recent studies on animal models focused on the effect of preserving tendon remnant of rotator cuff on tendon healing. A positive effect by combining tendon remnant preservation and small bone vents on the greater tuberosity in comparison with standard tendon-to-bone repair has been shown. The purpose of the present clinical study was to evaluate the efficacy of biologic augmentation of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair by maintaining tendon remnant on rotator cuff footprint combined with small bone vents of the greater tuberosity. A retrospective study was conducted. All patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair associated with small bone vents (nanofractures) and tendon footprint preservation were considered eligible for the study. Inclusion criteria were: diagnosis of full-thickness rotator cuff tear as diagnosed at preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and confirmed at the time of surgery; minimum 24-month of follow-up and availability of post-operative MRI performed not earlier than 6 months after surgery. Exclusion criteria were: partial thickness tears, irreparable tears, capsulo-labral pathologies, calcific tendonitis, gleno-humeral osteoarthritis and/or previous surgery. Primary outcome was the ASES score. Secondary outcomes were: Quick-DASH and WORC scores, and structural integrity of repaired tendons by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed six months after surgery. A paired t-test was used to compare pre- and postoperative clinical outcomes. Subgroup analysis was performed according to tear size. Significance was set at p < 0.05. The study included 29 patients (M:F = 15:14). Mean age (+ SD) of patients was 61.7 + 8.9 years. Mean follow-up was 27.4 ± 2.3 months. Comparison between pre- and postoperative functional scores showed significant clinical improvement (p < 0.001). Subgroup analysis for tear size showed significant differences in the QuickDASH score (0.04). Particularly, a significant difference in the QuickDASH score could be detected between medium and large tears (p=0.008) as well as medium and massive lesions (p=0.04). No differences could be detected between large and massive tears (p= 0.35). Postoperative imaging showed healed tendons in 21 out of 29 (72%) cases. Preservation of tendon remnant combined with small bone vents in the repair of medium-to-massive full-thickness rotator cuff tears provided significant improvement in clinical outcome compared to baseline conditions with complete structural integrity in 72% of the cases

Rotator cuff repair has excellent clinical outcomes but continues to be a challenge when it comes to large and massive tears as well as revision procedures. Reported symptomatic retear rates are still too high to be acceptable. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a combination of augmentation techniques consisting of microfractures of the greater tuberosity, extracellular matrix (ECM) patch graft and subsequent platelet concentrate (PC) subacromial injections in revision rotator cuff repair. The study was designed as a retrospective comparative study on prospectively collected data from a consecutive cohort of patients. All patients who underwent arthroscopic revision rotator cuff repair for symptomatic failure of previous posterosuperior rotator cuff repair were considered eligible for the study. Symptomatic failure had been diagnosed according to clinical examination and confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Structural integrity had been assessed on MRI and classified according to Sugaya classification. Only patients affected by stage IV-V were considered eligible. Tear reparability was confirmed during arthroscopy. Only patients with a minimum 2 years follow-up were included. Patients were divided in two groups. In group 1 (control group) a standard arthroscopic revision and microfractures of the greater tuberosity were performed; in group 2 (experimental group), microfractures of the greater tuberosity and a ECM patch graft were used to enhance tendon repair, followed by postoperative PC injections. Minimum follow-up was 12 months. Primary outcome was the Constant-Murley score (CMS) normalized for age and gender. Subjective outcome was assessed with the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score in its short version (Quick-DASH). Tendon integrity was assessed with MRI at 6 months after surgery. Comparison between groups for all discrete variables at baseline and at follow-up was carried out with the Student's t-test for normally distributed data, otherwise Mann-Whitney U-test was used. Within-group differences (baseline vs follow-up) for discrete variables were analyzed by paired t-test, or by Wilcoxon signed-rank test in case of data with non-normal distribution. Differences for categorical variables were assessed by chi-squared test. Significance was considered for p values < 0.05. Forty patients were included in the study (20 patients for each group). The mean follow-up was 13 ± 1.6 months. No patients were lost at the follow up. Comparison between groups did not show significant differences for baseline characteristics. At follow-up, mean CMS was 80.7 ± 16.6 points in group 1 and 91.5 ± 11.5 points in group 2 (p= 0.022). Mean DASH score was 28.6 ± 21.6 points in group 1 and 20.1 ± 17.4 points in group 2 (p= 0.178). Post-operative MRI showed 6 healed shoulders in Group 1 and 16 healed shoulders in Group 2 (p<0.004). No postoperative complications were reported in both groups. The combination of microfractures of the greater tuberosity, ECM patch graft, and subsequent PC subacromial injections is an effective strategy in improving tendon healing rate

Abstract. Background. Fractures Proximal humerus account for nearly 10 % of geriatric fractures. The treatment options varies. There is no consensus regarding the optimal treatment, with almost all modalities giving functionally poor outcomes. Hence literature recommends conservative management over surgical options. MULTILOC nail with its design seems to be a promising tool in treating these fractures. We hereby report our early experience in the treatment of 37 elderly patients. Objectives. To evaluate the radiological outcome with regards to union, collapse, screw back out/cut through, implant failures, Greater tuberosity migration. To evaluate the functional outcome at the end of 6 months using Constant score. Study Design & Methods. All patients aged >65 years who underwent surgery for 3,4-part fracture proximal humerus using the MULTILOC nail were included in the study after consent. Pre – existing rotator cuff disease were excluded. Within the time frame, a total of 39 patients underwent the said surgery. 2 patients were lost to follow up. All the measurements were taken at the end of 6 months and results tabulated and analysed. Results. Union was achieved in all the 37 patients. There were no varus collapse or screw backout/cut through seen in any of the patients. There was Greater tuberosity migration in 1 patient who underwent revision surgery at 6 weeks. All the patients got a minimum of 70 degrees of abduction and forward flexion. We had 29 excellent, 6 good, 2 fair and none poor results as per Constant scoring system. Study done in Tejasvini Hospital & SSIOT Mangaluru India

Aims

This study compared patients who underwent arthroscopic repair of large to massive rotator cuff tears (LMRCTs) with isolated incomplete repair of the tear and patients with incomplete repair with biceps tendon augmentation. We aimed to evaluate the additional benefit on clinical outcomes and the capacity to lower the re-tear rate.