Acromioclavicular Disk as a Potential Source of Pain in AC Joint Injuries.

Background: Injuries of the acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) are common shoulder injuries that often lead to pain and dysfunction of the affected shoulder. Regardless of operative or nonoperative treatment, a relatively large number of patients remain symptomatic and experience pain. However, the specific source of persistent pain in the ACJ remains ambiguous.

Clinical and radiographic outcomes of a transosseous suture technique for displaced lateral clavicle fractures.

Background: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical and radiographic outcomes of a transosseous suture fixation technique for the treatment of unstable lateral clavicle fractures. The appropriate treatment for lateral clavicle fractures is controversial. Many authors have argued for nonsurgical treatment of these injuries; however, recent literature has shown a role for the surgical treatment of unstable fractures.

The "Labral Bridge": A Novel Technique for Arthroscopic Anatomic Knotless Bankart Repair.

Arthroscopic Bankart repair with suture anchors is widely considered a mainstay for surgical treatment of anterior shoulder instability after recurrent anterior shoulder dislocations. Traditionally, the displaced capsulolabral complex is restored and firmly attached to the glenoid by placing multiple suture anchors individually from a 5- to 3-o'clock position. A variety of different techniques using different anchor designs and materials have been described.

Complications of shoulder arthroscopy.

Over the past 20 to 30 years, arthroscopic shoulder techniques have become increasingly popular. Although these techniques have several advantages over open surgery, surgical complications are no less prevalent or devastating than those associated with open techniques. Some of the complications associated with arthroscopic shoulder surgery include recurrent instability, soft-tissue injury, and neurapraxia.

Influence of Rotator Cuff Tear Size and Repair Technique on the Creation and Management of Dog Ear Deformities in a Transosseous-Equivalent Rotator Cuff Repair Model.

Background: Redundancies in the rotator cuff tissue, commonly referred to as "dog ear" deformities, are frequently encountered during rotator cuff repair. Knowledge of how these deformities are created and their impact on rotator cuff footprint restoration is limited.

Purpose: The goals of this study were to assess the impact of tear size and repair method on the creation and management of dog ear deformities in a human cadaveric model.

Superior labrum anterior-to-posterior repair incidence: a longitudinal investigation of community and academic databases.

Background: Superior labrum anterior-to-posterior (SLAP) lesion repair is controversial regarding indications and potential complications.

Methods: Databases were used to determine the SLAP repair incidence compared with all orthopaedic procedures over a period of 10 years. In part A, the New York Statewide Planning and Research Cooperative System ambulatory surgery database was investigated from 2002 to 2009.

How does external rotation bracing influence motion and functional scores after arthroscopic shoulder stabilization?

Background: After arthroscopic shoulder stabilization, the loss of motion or delayed recovery of motion remains a clinical problem and may lead to poor patient satisfaction. There remains no consensus regarding the optimal position for postoperative immobilization and it is not known whether the position for shoulder immobilization has an effect on motion and functional recovery.

Questions/purposes: We asked: (1) Do patients treated with external rotation (ER) bracing after arthroscopic anterior shoulder stabilization reliably regain ROM and shoulder function? And (2) what is the frequency of recurrent instability and brace-related complications associated with the use of ER bracing?

Methods: Forty consecutive patients with a primary diagnosis of anterior shoulder instability underwent arthroscopic stabilization and received postoperative ER bracing; 33 patients (83%; mean age, 23 years; range, 13-44 years) were followed for at least 1 year postoperatively and seven patients were lost to followup.

General surgical principles of open rotator cuff repair in the management of failed arthroscopic cuff repairs.

Open management of failed rotator cuff repair is currently rare because of the advancements in arthroscopic techniques in rotator cuff surgery. Minimally invasive arthroscopic treatment of rotator cuff injuries has eclipsed the traditional open approach at most institutions around the world. Many residents complete their training in orthopaedic surgery without exposure to traditional open rotator cuff repair.

Operative treatment of isolated greater tuberosity fractures: retrospective review of clinical and functional outcomes.

Displaced isolated greater tuberosity fractures are rare injuries that require operative treatment to optimize rotator cuff function and prevent painful subacromial impingement. A lack of consensus exists regarding ideal management of these injuries because of the paucity of literature on the subject.The outcomes of 17 patients treated with open (n=15) or arthroscopic (n=2) fixation at the authors' institution between 2001 and 2009 were retrospectively reviewed.

Bone grafting of humeral head cystic defects during rotator cuff repair.

Cystic bony defects of the humeral head greater tuberosity are often encountered during rotator cuff repair. These defects may be idiopathic, related to a patient's rotator cuff disease, or secondary to suture anchor placement from previous repairs. Some cysts are visible on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging, but most are discovered on footprint exploration or implant removal during revision surgery.

Suprascapular neuropathy: what does the literature show?

Suprascapular neuropathy remains a rare, albeit increasingly recognized, diagnosis. Despite its relatively low prevalence, it must be kept in the shoulder surgeon's mind as a potential cause of shoulder pain, particularly in patients where the history, physical examination, and imaging studies do not adequately explain a patient's symptoms or disability. Although challenging to identify, suprascapular neuropathy can be successfully treated.

Physical examination of the athlete's elbow.

Elbow injury is encountered less frequently than are other joint conditions. The bony architecture, muscle, ligament, and nerve anatomy are complex, and the forces leading to injury in the athlete's elbow are unique. Appreciating the pathomechanics leading to injury and a detailed knowledge of elbow anatomy are the foundation for conducting a directed history and physical examination that achieves an accurate diagnosis.

ACL injury and surgical treatment options.

The anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) has been the focus of a substantial amount of research. Thousands of studies have evaluated the structure and function of the intact ACL, as well as the best reconstruction techniques. Despite the amount of literature, many controversies remain regarding the ACL and its surgical reconstruction.

Radical posterior capsulectomy improves sagittal knee motion in crouch gait.

Background: Knee flexion contracture leading to crouch gait is commonly seen in children with myelomeningocele. Progressive increase in knee flexion contracture increases energy cost, which interferes with efficient, functional ambulation. To prevent this, surgical release has been recommended when a knee flexion contracture exceeds 15° to 20°.

A monoblock porous tantalum acetabular cup has no osteolysis on CT at 10 years.

Background: Aseptic osteolysis has been the single most important factor limiting the longevity of a THA. A great deal of attention has been focused on the development of implants and materials that minimize the development of osteolysis. The monoblock porous tantalum acetabular cup was designed to minimize osteolysis, but whether it does so is unclear.

The lateral compartment in knees with isolated medial and patellofemoral osteoarthritis: a histologic analysis of articular cartilage.

The purpose of this study was to examine, at a histologic level, the articular cartilage of the radiographically normal lateral compartment in knees with isolated medial and possibly patellofemoral osteoarthritis. Twenty patients with radiographic evidence of medial compartment osteoarthritis and a radiographically osteoarthritis-free lateral compartment underwent a tricompartmental total knee arthroplasty. The resected lateral femoral condyle and lateral tibial plateau were evaluated by a fellowship-trained musculoskeletal pathologist for the presence, or lack thereof, of osteoarthritis at a microscopic level.

Sources of error in total knee arthroplasty.

The purpose of this study was to identify the procedural steps in a total knee arthroplasty (TKA) in which technical errors occur and to quantify the magnitude of these errors. Forty-nine consecutive TKAs were performed using a traditional exposure and manual instrumentation. An image-free computer navigation system (OrthoPilot; Aesculap AG, Tuttlingen, Germany) was used to measure and compare femoral and tibial alignment at specific procedural points during the TKA; this data was then used to evaluate possible sources of error in the procedure.

Compartment syndrome following intraosseous infusion.

Intraosseous infusion is a valuable technique in the resuscitation of critically ill pediatric patients in whom vascular access has proved otherwise impossible. Although it is well established as a safe and reliable means of emergent access, intraosseous infusion is not without danger, nor complication. One of the rare yet most grave complications of intraosseous access is compartment syndrome.

Scarf osteotomy for hallux valgus deformity: an intermediate followup of clinical and radiographic outcomes.

Background: The scarf osteotomy is a versatile and reproducible procedure for the correction of moderate to severe hallux valgus deformity (intermetatarsal angle 12 to 20 degrees hallux valgus angle 20 to 46 degrees).

Methods: We evaluated the results of 27 consecutive scarf osteotomies at an average followup of 16.1 months.

Crouched gait in myelomeningocele: a comparison between the degree of knee flexion contracture in the clinical examination and during gait.

The purpose of this study was to quantitatively evaluate, in patients with low lumbar and sacral level myelomeningocele who have knee flexion contractures, whether there are significant differences between the degree of knee flexion contracture measured clinically and the degree of actual knee flexion during gait, measured by computerized gait analysis. Patients were divided into two groups, those who walked with ankle-foot orthoses (AFOs) alone and those who walked with AFOs and crutches. In both groups, the patient's knee flexion contractures were measured clinically, and the degree of knee flexion was measured dynamically at two representative points in the gait cycle.