Evaluation of a collagen-coated, resorbable fiber scaffold loaded with a peptide basic fibroblast growth factor mimetic in a sheep model of rotator cuff repair.

BACKGROUND: A new scaffold design combined with a peptide growth factor was tested prospectively for safety and for improved tendon healing in sheep. METHODS: The infraspinatus tendon was detached and then surgically repaired to the humerus using sutures and anchors in 50 adult sheep. The repairs in 40 of these sheep were reinforced with a scaffold containing F2A, a peptide mimetic of basic fibroblast growth factor. The sheep were examined after 8 or 26 weeks with magnetic resonance imaging, full necropsy, and histopathologic analysis. A second cohort of 30 sheep underwent surgical repair--20 with scaffolds containing F2A. The 30 shoulders were tested mechanically after 8 weeks. RESULTS: The scaffold and F2A showed no toxicity. Scaffold-repaired tendons were 31% thicker than surgically repaired controls (P = .037) at 8 weeks. There was more new bone formed at the tendon footprint in sheep treated with F2A. Surgically repaired tendons delaminated from the humerus across 14% of the footprint area. The extent of delamination decreased to 1.3% with increasing doses of F2A (P = .004). More of the repair tissue at the footprint was tendon-like in the peptide-treated sheep. On mechanical testing, only 7 shoulders tore at the repair site. The repairs in the other 23 shoulders were already stronger than the midsubstance tendon at 8 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: The new scaffold and peptide safely improved tendon healing.

Repair of SLAP lesions associated with a Buford complex: a novel surgical technique.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to analyze outcomes of a novel arthroscopic repair technique for type II SLAP lesions associated with a Buford complex. METHODS: Patients selected for study enrollment had a symptomatic, isolated type II SLAP lesion and the Buford complex anatomic variant. Excluded were patients undergoing any concomitant shoulder procedure (e.g., subacromial decompression) or with any history of shoulder surgery. In addition to standard type II SLAP repair using suture anchors, the described technique also transects the cordlike middle glenohumeral ligament (MGHL) at the equator of the glenoid. This decreases postoperative stress on the repair and allows incorporation of the proximal MGHL segment for repair augmentation. The stout proximal MGHL segment is fixed to the anterosuperior glenoid rim, which is devoid of labral tissue, to enhance fixation of the SLAP repair anterior to the biceps anchor. The distal MGHL segment is left free so as to not impair external rotation. A single surgeon performed all procedures using the same surgical technique. Outcomes were assessed by University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and Constant shoulder scoring indexes. RESULTS: Twenty-one patients were evaluated. Both UCLA and Constant shoulder scores showed a statistically significant improvement after surgery. The mean UCLA score increased from 14.3 preoperatively to 32.1 postoperatively (P < .0001). The mean Constant score improved from 39.7 to 85.0 (P < .0001). Follow-up examination was performed at a mean of 44 months after surgery (range, 23 to 75 months). No patients had evidence of postoperative instability. CONCLUSIONS: For patients with a symptomatic type II SLAP tear and an associated Buford complex, using the proximal Buford MGHL to enhance repair and releasing the distal Buford MGHL segment resulted in significant improvement in outcomes at intermediate follow-up. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV, therapeutic case series.

High tibial osteotomy.

High tibial osteotomy is effective for managing a variety of knee conditions, including gonarthrosis with varus or valgus malalignment, osteochondritis dissecans, osteonecrosis, posterolateral instability, and chondral resurfacing. The fundamental goals of the procedure are to unload diseased articular surfaces and to correct angular deformity at the tibiofemoral articulation. Although the clinical success of total knee arthroplasty has resulted in fewer high tibial osteotomies being done during the past decade, the procedure remains useful in appropriately selected patients with unicompartmental knee disease. Renewed interest in high tibial osteotomy has occurred for a number of reasons. These include the prevalence of physiologically young active patients presenting with medial compartment osteoarthritis; the advent of new techniques for performing the procedure (ie, improved instrumentation and fixation plates for medial opening wedge osteotomy, dynamic external fixation for medial opening wedge osteotomy, and improved instrumentation for lateral closing wedge osteotomy); and the need to concomitantly correct malalignment when performing chondral resurfacing procedures (ie, autologous chondrocyte transplantation, mosaicplasty, and microfracture).

Mini-incision for total hip arthroplasty: a prospective, controlled investigation with 5-year follow-up evaluation.

A group of 42 primary total hip arthroplasties performed through an abridged surgical incision (group 1) was prospectively compared to a cohort of 42 primary total hip arthroplasties performed through a standard surgical incision (group 2). The length of the incision was 8.8 +/- 1.5 cm for group 1 and 23.0 +/- 2.1 cm for group 2. The groups were not significantly different with respect to age, height, preoperative Harris Hip scores (HHS), estimated blood loss, or length of hospital stay (P>.05). Group 1 patients had a lower body mass index than group 2 patients (P<.01). Length of surgery was slightly less for group I (P =.02). A 0% incidence was found of infection, nerve palsy, component malposition, and aseptic loosening in both groups. No dislocations occurred in group 1, and one dislocation occurred in group 2. Patients in group 1 have expressed considerable enthusiasm regarding the cosmetic appearance of the surgical incisions, and their postoperative HHS are slightly higher than those of group 2 (P =.042). Total hip arthroplasty can be performed safely and effectively through an abridged surgical incision, but this investigation confirms no dramatic clinical benefit other than cosmetic appeal.

Minimally invasive transrotator cuff approach for arthroscopic stabilization of the posterosuperior glenoid labrum.

We describe a novel technique for repair of the superior glenoid labrum posterior to the biceps anchor. This approach optimizes access for fixation of the superior and posterosuperior labrum, but involves significantly less trauma to the rotator cuff and subacromial space compared with previously described transrotator cuff methods. We suspect that the relative lack of trauma to the rotator cuff and subacromial space accounts for the superior clinical scores and lower incidence of postoperative impingement symptoms with this technique compared with previously reported transrotator cuff methods.

Osseous adaptation and range of motion at the glenohumeral joint in professional baseball pitchers.

The throwing shoulder in pitchers frequently exhibits a paradox of glenohumeral joint motion, in which excessive external rotation is present at the expense of decreased internal rotation. The object of this study was to determine the role of humeral head retroversion in relation to increased glenohumeral external rotation. Glenohumeral joint range of motion and laxity along with humeral head and glenoid version of the dominant versus nondominant shoulders were studied in 25 professional pitchers and 25 nonthrowing subjects. Each subject underwent a computed tomography scan to determine bilateral humeral head and glenoid version. The throwing group demonstrated a significant increase in the dominant shoulder versus the nondominant shoulder in humeral head retroversion, glenoid retroversion, external rotation at 90 degrees, and external rotation in the scapular plane. Internal rotation was decreased in the dominant shoulder. Total range of motion, anterior glenohumeral laxity, and posterior glenohumeral laxity were found to be equal bilaterally. The nonthrowing group demonstrated no significant difference in humeral head retroversion, glenoid retroversion, external rotation at 90 degrees or external rotation in the scapular plane between shoulders, and no difference in internal rotation at 90 degrees, total motion, or laxity. A comparison of the dominant shoulders of the two groups indicated that both external rotation at 90 degrees and humeral head retroversion were significantly greater in the throwing group.