Correlation between Severity of Synovitis and Clinical Features in Rotator Cuff Tears

Background@#Rotator cuff tears can be asymptomatic in some cases; however, even when the tear size is small, clinical symptoms can be very severe. This suggests that symptoms of rotator cuff tears are related to factors other than the size. Although synovitis has been cited as one of the factors, there is no grading system for synovitis in rotator cuff tears. Moreover, there are few studies that evaluated the relationship between synovitis and clinical features in patients with rotator cuff tears. @*Methods@#Patients with medium-sized rotator cuff tears, who were scheduled for arthroscopic repair, were recruited for this study.The glenohumeral joint was divided into 4 quarters. Then, vascularity and hypertrophy of the joint were graded in each quarter using a modified scoring system. Clinical assessment was performed preoperatively and at 3 months and 6 months after surgery.Finally, correlation between the severity of synovitis and clinical features was analyzed. @*Results@#The intraobserver correlation coefficient was 0.815 to 0.918 and the interobserver correlation coefficient was 0.779 to 0.992 for the single measurement. Vascularity was significantly correlated with the range of motion, strength, and constant score within 6 months after surgery. Hypertrophy was correlated with the range of motion within 6 months after surgery. @*Conclusions@#Synovitis in the shoulder with rotator cuff tears can be graded by using our modified scoring system. The severity of synovitis was closely related to the clinical features after surgery. Therefore, when treating patients with rotator cuff tears, treatment of synovitis should also be considered.

Risk Factor for Poor Clinical Outcome in Patients with Retear after Repair of the Rotator Cuff / 대한정형외과학회잡지

Purpose@#To evaluate the prognostic factors affecting poor functional outcomes in patients with retear after rotator cuff repair. @*Materials and Methods@#From January 2013 to December 2018, among 631 patients who underwent arthroscopic repair of a rotator cuff tear, 42 patients, who could be followed-up for more than one year and showed a retear of the repaired cuff on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), were collected retrospectively. The preoperative demographic data, range of motion, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, fatty degeneration, and tear progression on postoperative MRI, as well as other factors that could affect the clinical outcomes, were analyzed. Patients who scored <80 points on the ASES score were allocated to the poor function group. The risk factors for poor clinical outcomes were compared with the group with ASES scores of 80 or above. @*Results@#The postoperative functional results in the group with retear (n=42) after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair showed significant improvement. Univariate analysis revealed the preoperative visual analogue scale (VAS) score and tear progression to have associations with a poor shoulder function. In addition, subscapularis repair was found to be associated with a good shoulder function. The preoperative VAS score and tear progression except for subscapularis repair were independent factors associated with poor clinical outcomes according to multivariate logistic regression analysis. @*Conclusion@#In patients with retear after rotator cuff repair, the preoperative VAS and tear progression in postoperative MRI are factors predicting a poor functional outcome.

Mid-Term Results of Fixed Bearing Unicompartmental Knee Arthroplasty: Minimum 5-Year Follow-Up / 대한정형외과학회잡지

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes, and the complications of unicompartmental knee arthroplasty (UKA) using a fixed bearing prosthesis after 5-year follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty-six knees (25 patients) that underwent fixed bearing UKA between May 2003 and August 2011 were included. The subjects were 3 males (3 knees) and 22 females (23 knees), and the average age was 63.5 years. The preoperative diagnosis was osteoarthritis (23 knees) and osteonecrosis (3 knees). The mean follow-up duration was 67 months (from 60 to 149 months). The clinical evaluation included pre- and postoperative American knee society knee and function score, and range of motion. The radiology evaluation included standing antero-posterior, lateral view, and fluoroscopic film to analyze the postoperative alignment and osteolysis. RESULTS: The mean American Knee Society knee score and function score were improved from 42.0 and 57.5 to 87.9 and 85.0, respectively (p < 0.001). The mean preoperative and postoperative range of motion was 132.9° and 132.5°, respectively. The mean femorotibial angle were varus 0.5° preoperatively and valgus 2.2° postoperatively. A radiolucent line was observed in 2 knees; one knee had a stable implant, while in the other knee, patellofemoral arthritis was identified during UKA. Diffuse pain of the knee joint with tenderness of the medial joint line was identified at the follow-up, so conversion to total knee arthroplasty was recommended. No other complications, such as osteolysis, infections, postoperative stiffness, and dislocation, were encountered. CONCLUSION: The midterm results of fixed bearing UKA were clinically and radiologically satisfactory.

Risk Factors Associated with Dislocation after Bipolar Hemiarthroplasty in Elderly Patients with Femoral Neck Fracture / 대한고관절학회지

PURPOSE: We investigated the incidence and time of dislocation and other factors associated with dislocation of bipolar hemiarthroplasty related to the treatment of femoral neck fracture in old age patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2002 and April 2014, 498 femoral neck fractures (467 patients) were treated with bipolar hemiarthroplasty and included in this study. All surgeries were performed using the postero-lateral approach. The incidence of dislocation was investigated. A comparative analysis between a control group and dislocation group was performed with respect to patient factors including age, gender, body mass index, comorbidities, the ASA (American Society of Anesthesiologists) score, mental status and center-edge angle, and surgical factors including type of femoral stem, leg length discrepancy, femoral offset and method of short external rotator (SER) reconstruction. RESULTS: The incidence of dislocation was 3.8%, and the dislocation occurred on average 2.2 months (range, 0.6-6.5 months) after operation. No difference in patient-related factors was observed between the two groups. However, a smaller center edge (CE) angle was observed in the dislocation group (42.1°±3.2° vs. 46.9°±5.4°, P<0.001), and significantly lower incidence of dislocation was observed in tendon to bone repair group (0.7% vs 7.8%, P<0.001). CONCLUSION: SERs should be repaired using the tendon-to-bone repair method to reduce dislocation rate in elderly patients who undergo bipolar hemiarthroplasty using the postero-lateral approach due to femoral neck fracture. In addition, patients with smaller CE angle should be carefully monitored due to high incidence of dislocation.