Background: The purpose of the present study was to validate the Functional Shoulder Score (FSS), a new patient-reported outcome score specifically designed to evaluate patients with rotator cuff disorders.
Methods: One hundred and nineteen patients were assessed using two shoulder scoring systems [the FSS and the Constant-Murley Score (CMS)] at 3 weeks pre- and 6 months post-arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery. The reliability, validity, responsiveness and interpretability of the FSS were evaluated.
Background: The present study aims to add to the body of evidence delineating the learning curve for a shoulder surgeon to become proficient in focussed ultrasound for the detection of full-thickness rotator cuff tears, as well as to describe a learning method for this skill.
Methods: Consecutive patients who were scheduled to undergo an arthroscopy for rotator cuff disease were scanned immediately before surgery by a senior shoulder surgeon with limited previous experience of shoulder ultrasound. The presence or absence of a full-thickness rotator cuff tear on scan was compared with intra-operative findings as the gold standard.