Patients With Intact Shoulder Superior Capsular Reconstruction Grafts on Ultrasound Show Significant Improvement in Functional Outcomes at Minimum 2-Year Follow-up.

Purpose: To assess the utility of using dynamic ultrasound for postoperative evaluation after superior capsular reconstruction (SCR) by evaluating graft integrity and its correlation with clinical outcomes at a minimum 2-year follow-up.

Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted to identify patients who underwent SCR between July 2015 and July 2020 with a minimum 2-year clinical and ultrasound follow-up. Clinical outcome measures included Simple Shoulder (SS) and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon (ASES) scores.

Ultrasound-Assisted Posterior Knee Arthroscopy: A Description of the Technique.

Entering the posterior knee with arthroscopy can be difficult. Scar tissue, a tumor, and the obese patient can make instrument placement difficult and risk iatrogenic injury. Ultrasound can be used to visualize the posterior knee and provide direct guidance of instrumentation.

Adoption of Intramedullary Nail Fixation for Proximal Humerus Fractures: Assessment of Surgical Efficiency and Complications.

Fixation of proximal humerus fractures (PHFs) with intramedullary (IM) nails potentially is a newer, less invasive technique. The purpose of this study was to report on the early adoption results of IM nail use for PHF. Retrospective chart reviews were performed on the first 60 patients treated with IM nails for acute PHFs by two shoulder surgeons.

Insurance-Mandated Stay Prolongs Hospitalization Following Total Shoulder Arthroplasty.

Medicare currently requires a 3-night hospitalization for a patient to be considered for skilled nursing facility (SNF) placement. The purpose of this study was to analyze the relationship between length of stay and (a) insurance status and (b) readmission rates in Medicare-age patients undergoing primary total shoulder arthroplasty. A retrospective review of 251 primary consecutive total shoulder arthroplasty cases was performed.

Cyanoacrylate microbial sealant may reduce the prevalence of positive cultures in revision shoulder arthroplasty.

Background: Cyanoacrylate-based, microbial sealant is an adhesive skin barrier designed to prevent bacterial contamination in surgical wounds. This type of adhesive barrier could have use in decreasing the incidence of positive cultures and subsequent infection in shoulder arthroplasty.

Questions/purposes: We therefore evaluated whether cyanoacrylate microbial sealant reduced the positive intraoperative culture rates in revision shoulder arthroplasty.

Pigmented villonodular synovitis: extrasynovial recurrence.

A 32-year-old female athlete underwent arthroscopy for a second recurrence of pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS), which was extrasynovial, seen on magnetic resonance imaging. It was noted on arthroscopy that (1) the nodules moved medially with joint insufflation, (2) the nodules were less prominent than on magnetic resonance imaging, and (3) more than 95% of the recurrent tumor was hidden by neosynovium. We believe that the extrasynovial location is because of the more rapid proliferation of the neosynovium relative to the growth of the remaining tumor cells after the previous resection.

Bupivacaine and triamcinolone may be toxic to human chondrocytes: a pilot study.

Background: Intraarticular injections of corticosteroids combined with local anesthetics are commonly used for management of chronic pain symptoms associated with degenerative joint diseases and after arthroscopic procedures. Several studies suggest chondrotoxicity of local anesthetics whereas others report chondroprotective and cytotoxic effects of corticosteroids on cartilage. Given the frequency of use of these agents, it is important to know whether they are in fact toxic.

Evaluation of the learning curve for reverse shoulder arthroplasty.

This purpose of this study was to quantify the surgical learning curve and provide guidelines to surgeons interested in teaching and performing reverse shoulder replacement. Sixty-two consecutive primary reverse shoulder replacements performed by a single surgeon were retrospectively reviewed. Using data from consecutive cases, surgical time was plotted against patient case order, and the linear regression slope was calculated.

Fenestrated cannulae with outflow reduces fluid gain in shoulder arthroscopy.

Unlabelled: Soft tissue fluid retention is a common problem after arthroscopy, with as much as 2% of patients having complications develop. A fenestrated outflow cannula has been introduced to reduce interstitial swelling. We tested the ability of this outflow cannula design to reduce fluid weight gain.

Removal of well-fixed flanged humeral prostheses may require humeral expansion.

Background: A flanged humeral stem design can be advantageous in achieving an interlock between the prosthetic and bone interface leading to a long-term stable loading pattern. The purpose of this study is to report a short case series involving revision of a flanged humeral prosthesis. Our hypothesis was that a greater percentage of the flanged prostheses undergoing revision would require some form of bone expansion to achieve stem removal compared to the nonflanged.

The accuracy of the saline load test in the diagnosis of traumatic knee arthrotomies.

Objectives: When open joint injury is suspected in a knee laceration, the saline load test has been recommended as a diagnostic modality, especially in small wounds, where inspection and palpation cannot confirm joint violation. The goals of this study are: 1) to correlate fluid volume needed for positive diagnosis with demographic factors, 2) to assess the sensitivity of using the commonly recommended volume of 50 mL, and 3) to identify the minimum fluid volume necessary to obtain 95% sensitivity.

Design: Prospective cohort.

Assessment of reprocessed arthroscopic shaver blades.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the level of contaminants on, as well as the quality of, reprocessed shaver blades.

Methods: We assessed 7 new shaver blades and 27 shaver blades that had been reprocessed with mechanical cleaning, functional testing, and sterilization with ethylene oxide. A spectrophotometer measured the amount of nucleic acid and protein.

In vitro effects of 3 common arthroscopic instruments on articular cartilage.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare chondroplasty performed with an ExoJet high-pressure fluid-driven burr (Mitek, Norwood, MA), a mechanical shaver, and a bipolar radiofrequency (RF) wand on articular cartilage-covered condyles taken from sheep cadavers that were induced to have an osteoarthritic-like condition, and corresponding healthy control tissue.

Type Of Study: Experimental designed animal cadaveric, biochemical, and histologic study.

Methods: Sheep condyles were used as a source of articular cartilage.

Shaver, bipolar radiofrequency, and saline jet instruments for cutting meniscal tissue: a comparative experimental study on sheep menisci.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to compare the quality of meniscal tissue cut with 3 different surgical instruments (traditional shavers, bipolar radiofrequency (RF) wands, and a high-pressure saline jet) and that of control menisci.

Type Of Study: Experimental design, biochemical and histologic study.

Methods: Sixty samples of sheep menisci were separated into 4 groups.

An anatomic evaluation of the active compression test.

The goal of this study was to describe the anatomic relationships present during the active compression test. Four pairs of cadaveric shoulders were positioned to simulate the active compression test. The shoulders were embedded in polyurethane and evaluated in the axial and coronal planes with a planer.