Thoracic outlet syndrome in overhead athletes.

Background: We aimed to retrospectively compare the clinical outcomes of endoscopy-assisted first-rib resection for thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) between overhead athletes and nonathletes and investigate the return to same-level sports rate in overhead athletes.

Methods: We retrospectively reviewed 181 cases with TOS (75 women, 106 men; mean age, 28.4 years; range, 12-57 years) who underwent endoscopy-assisted first-rib resection.

Effect of suprascapular nerve injury on muscle and regenerated enthesis in a rat rotator cuff tear model.

Background: Massive rotator cuff tears (RCTs) are complicated by muscle atrophy, fibrosis, and intramuscular fatty degeneration, which are associated with postoperative tendon-to-bone healing failure and poor clinical outcomes. We evaluated muscle and enthesis changes in large tears with or without suprascapular nerve (SN) injury in a rat model.

Methods: Sixty-two adult Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into SN injury (+) and SN injury (-) groups (n=31 each), comprising tendon (supraspinatus [SSP]/infraspinatus [ISP]) and nerve resection and tendon resection only cases, respectively.

Arthroscopic findings of the glenohumeral joint in symptomatic anterior instabilities: comparison between overhead throwing disorders and traumatic shoulder dislocation.

Background: The term shoulder instability refers to a variety of mechanisms and clinical presentations. One of the common pathologies of throwing disorders is internal impingement with anterior instability. Most throwing athletes with symptomatic internal impingement with anterior instability exhibit positive apprehension and relocation test results, whereas those with recurrent anterior shoulder instability display positive apprehension test results.

Clinical and structural outcomes after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: a comparison between suture bridge techniques with or without medial knot tying.

Purpose: To compare arthroscopic suture bridge (SB) techniques with medial tying to those without tying, considering clinical and structural outcomes.

Methods: We included 124 patients with rotator cuff tears after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR). Fifty-three patients with clinical and structural evaluations 3, 12, and 24 months postoperatively were included and divided into 29 patients with medial tying (WMT group) and 24 without tying (WOMT group).

Hand lesion after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: Association with complex regional pain syndrome.

Background: It is known that complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) occurs after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR); however, few studies have investigated this complication. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate CRPS after ARCR.

Methods: A total of 182 patients who underwent ARCR were enrolled in this study.

Risk factors for retear of large/massive rotator cuff tears after arthroscopic surgery: an analysis of tearing patterns.

Background: Previous studies have evaluated the risk factors for retear of large/massive rotator cuff tears (RCTs) that were treated arthroscopically; however, most studies did not evaluate tear patterns. The present study hypothesized that postoperative risk factors are affected by the tearing patterns in large/massive cuff tears in patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR).

Methods: One hundred fifty patients with large/massive cuff tears underwent ARCR at our institution.

Histomorphometric and ultrastructural analysis of the tendon-bone interface after rotator cuff repair in a rat model.

Successful rotator cuff repair requires biological anchoring of the repaired tendon to the bone. However, the histological structure of the repaired tendon-bone interface differs from that of a normal tendon insertion. We analysed differences between the normal tendon insertion and the repaired tendon-bone interface after surgery in the mechanical properties, histomorphometric analysis, and 3-dimensional ultrastructure of the cells using a rat rotator cuff repair model.

Factors Affecting Clinical Outcome in Patients With Structural Failure After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair.

Purpose: (1) To compare clinical outcomes between patients with large or massive rotator cuff tears who have healed cuffs and patients with postoperative structural failure (retear after complete or partial repair) and (2) to identify factors associated with clinical outcomes in patients with postoperative structural failure.

Methods: We conducted a retrospective study of consecutive patients with large or massive cuff tears who underwent arthroscopic repair at our institution between 2005 and 2012. On the basis of intraoperative findings and magnetic resonance imaging at final follow-up, the patients were divided into 3 groups: healed group, retear group (after complete repair), and partial-repair group.

Effects of corticosteroids and hyaluronic acid on torn rotator cuff tendons in vitro and in rats.

Corticosteroids (CS) or hyaluronic acid (HA) is used in subacromial injection for the conservative treatment of rotator cuff tears (RCT); this study addresses the question of how CS and HA affect the tendon tissue and fibroblasts in vitro and in rats. Cell proliferation assays were performed in human tendon fibroblasts from RCT. Rats underwent surgery to create RCT, and the surgical sites were injected with CS or HA.

Ganglion cyst in the supraspinous fossa: arthroscopically undetectable cases.

Studies have demonstrated favorable outcomes of arthroscopic decompression for ganglion cyst in the supraspinous fossa; however, little attention has been paid to the difficulty in detecting these cysts during arthroscopy. In this report, we present 2 cases in which ganglion cysts in the supraspinous fossa were undetectable during arthroscopy. The ganglion cysts were not identified in these cases during surgery despite arthroscopic decompression being performed through the area in which the cyst was expected until the suprascapular nerve was entirely exposed.