Introduction A painful, stiff shoulder is an undesired but not uncommon complication following rotator cuff repair. Postoperative shoulder stiffness, commonly known as POSS, is an “acquired” condition, and several authors have defined it in various ways, depending on the patterns…
Introduction Failed rotator cuff repair includes patients with recurrent tears; however, it also includes those patients who have not achieved adequate pain control or improved functional outcomes following the index procedure. There are intrinsic and extrinsic factors that contribute to…
Introduction Ever since the first description over 200 years ago, rotator cuff tears have fascinated orthopedic surgeons. As surgeons moved away from simply identifying rotator cuff tears, focus moved toward treatment of these often debilitating injuries. The first English-language description…
Introduction Postoperative rehabilitation following rotator cuff repair has been shown to improve functional outcomes in varied patient populations. Owing to the fragile nature of the repair during the initial months after surgery, it is imperative that the rehabilitation professional follow…
Introduction Suprascapular neuropathy can have multiple potential etiologies, though it is typically secondary to traction or compression. It has usually been considered to be a rare cause of shoulder pain and dysfunction, and it was viewed as a diagnosis of…
Introduction Although the incidence of greater tuberosity fractures of the proximal humerus has been estimated to be 20% of all proximal humerus fractures, lesser tuberosity fractures account for only 2%. Contrary to proximal humerus fractures, the typical patient who sustains…
Introduction Most shoulder surgeons recognize that many patients with rotator cuff tear have some shoulder stiffness preoperatively. In general, these patients are managed with a shoulder mobilization program before surgical treatment; however, the ideal treatment for rotator cuff tears with…
Introduction The shoulder is the least constrained and most mobile joint, making instability a frequent condition in a young and active population. The rotator cuff creates a concavity compression mechanism that dynamically stabilizes the shoulder. Rotator cuff tear favors instability,…
Introduction Tears of the subscapularis are present in nearly 30% of all arthroscopic shoulder procedures and approximately 50% of rotator cuff repairs. Repair of a torn subscapularis tendon is critically important to restoring anatomy and therefore to achieving the best…
Introduction Massive rotator cuff tears have historically been defined as tears that are greater than 5 cm in size in either the anterior-posterior or medial-lateral length, or tears involving at least two tendons. They account for 20% of all cuff…