[Can a fall onto the shoulder (direct impact) cause a rotator cuff tear?] / Kann ein Sturz auf die Schulter (Direktanprall) einen Riss der Rotatorenmanschette verursachen?

The question of whether a fall directly onto the shoulder can cause a rotator cuff tear has occupied doctors (and courts) for many years. Experts who rely on the medical insurance literature usually reject the causality of the incident. There are no scientific studies on this. The report below describes a typical case in which a fall directly onto the shoulder caused a massive rotator cuff tear.

Devastating Pneumococcal Arthritis of the Shoulder After Two Corticosteroid Injections.

A 36-year-old man was treated with two intraarticular corticoid injections for intense pain and severely decreased range of motion of his left shoulder. After the second injection, he came back with fulminant arthritis. Microbiological examination revealed streptococcus pneumoniae. Open debridement, long-term antibiotics, and total shoulder replacement were necessary to restore acceptable shoulder function. The fulminant course with rapid destruction of the joint illustrates the risks of intraarticular corticoid injections. This case also shows that the diagnosis should be accurately made and risk factors excluded before considering injection as a treatment.

Can a simple fall cause a rotator cuff tear? Literature review and biomechanical considerations.

PURPOSE: A simple fall on the shoulder is often referred to as minor trauma that cannot cause a tendon tear but at best reveal a pre-existing rotator cuff pathology. We wanted to know whether this statement was true. The purpose of our study was therefore to summarize the causes of acute rotator cuff tears reported in the literature and provide a biomechanical explanation for tendon tears diagnosed after a fall. METHOD: We searched PubMed and included studies reporting rotator cuff tears occurring due to a trauma. The number of cases, the tendons involved, the age of the patients, and the nature of trauma were summarized. In addition, we noted any information provided by the authors on the pathogenesis of acute tendon ruptures. RESULTS: Sixty-seven articles with a total of 4061 traumatic rotator cuff tears met the inclusion criteria. A simple fall was the most common cause (725 cases) and the supraspinatus tendon was most frequently affected. The postulated pathomechanism is a sudden stretch of the tendon-muscle unit while contracting (eccentric loading). CONCLUSION: A simple fall can cause an acute rotator cuff tear and fall-related tears are not restricted to young individuals. They can affect patients of any age. The stresses occurring within the rotator cuff during an attempt to cushion a fall may locally exceed the tensile strength of the tendon fibers and cause a partial or full-thickness tear.

Causes of acromion and scapular spine fractures following reverse shoulder arthroplasty: a retrospective analysis and literature review.

PURPOSE: Fractures of the acromion and the scapular spine are serious complications after reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. They concern about 4 to 5% of the patients and always result in a significant deterioration of shoulder function. Different causes have been taken into consideration, particularly stress or fatigue fractures. The purpose of the present study was to analyse our own cases and to discuss the causes reported in the literature. METHODS: We reviewed our shoulder arthroplasty registry and the consultation reports of the last ten years. The charts and radiographs of all patients who had a post-operative fracture of the acromion or the scapular spine were carefully examined and the results were compared with those of an age- and gender-matched control group. RESULTS: Twelve patients with an average age of 79 years sustained a fracture of the acromion (n = 6) or the scapular spine (n = 6). The time interval between the operation and the fracture averaged 26 months and ranged from three weeks to 70 months. Eight patients (67%) had a trauma. Seven of them reported a fall on the corresponding shoulder and one a heavy blow on the acromion. The four non-traumatic fractures were attributed to poor bone quality. All 12 patients had immediate pain and difficulty to actively elevate the affected arm. The time interval between the fracture and its diagnosis averaged ten weeks (0 to 10 months). At final follow-up, all patients could reach their face and refused further surgery. Two patients rated their result as good, six as acceptable and four as poor. CONCLUSIONS: Our study cannot support the hypothesis that most acromion and scapular spine fractures after RSA are the result of increased tension in the deltoid or stress fractures. In our series, the majority of the fractures were related to a fall. Implantation of a reverse prosthesis exposes the acromion and makes it more vulnerable to direct trauma. Non-traumatic fractures were associated with poor bone quality.

Lordoplasty: midterm outcome of an alternative augmentation technique for vertebral fractures.

OBJECTIVE Vertebroplasty and balloon kyphoplasty are effective treatment options for osteoporotic vertebral compression fractures but are limited in correction of kyphotic deformity. Lordoplasty has been reported as an alternative, cost-effective, minimally invasive, percutaneous cement augmentation technique with good restoration of vertebral body height and alignment. The authors report on its clinical and radiological midterm results. METHODS A retrospective review was conducted of patients treated with lordoplasty from 2002 to 2014. Inclusion criteria were clinical and radiological follow-up evaluations longer than 24 months. Radiographs were accessed regarding initial correction and progressive loss of reduction. Complications and reoperations were recorded. Actual pain level, pain relief immediately after surgery, autonomy, and subjective impression of improvement of posture were assessed by questionnaire. RESULTS Sixty-five patients (46 women, 19 men, age range 38.9-86.2 years old) were treated with lordoplasty for 69 vertebral compression and insufficiency fractures. A significant correction of the vertebral kyphotic angle (mean 13°) and segmental kyphotic angle (mean 11°) over a mean follow-up of 33 months (range 24-108 months) was achieved (p < 0.001). On average, pain was relieved to 90% of the initial pain level. In 24% of the 65 patients a second spinal intervention was necessary: 16 distant (24.6%) and 7 adjacent (10.8%) new osteoporotic fractures, 4 instrumented stabilizations (6.2%), 1 new adjacent traumatic fracture (1.5%), and 1 distant microsurgical decompression (1.5%). Cement leakage occurred in 10.4% but was only symptomatic in 1 case. CONCLUSIONS Lordoplasty appeared safe and effective in midterm pain alleviation and restoration of kyphotic deformity in osteoporotic compression and insufficiency fractures. The outcomes of lordoplasty are consistent with other augmentation techniques.