Background:Painful dysfunctional shoulders with irreparable rotator cuff tears (IRCTs) in active patients are a challenge. Arthroscopic superior capsular reconstruction (ASCR) is a new treatment option originally described using a fascia lata autograft harvested through an open approach. However, concerns about donor site morbidity have discouraged surgeons from using this type of graft.Hypothesis:ASCR using a minimally invasive harvested fascia lata autograft produces good 6-month and 2-year shoulder outcomes in IRCTs, with low-impact thigh morbidity at 2 years.Study Design:Case series; Level of evidence, 4.Methods:From 2015 to 2016, a total of 22 consecutive patients (mean age, 64.8 ± 8.6 years) with chronic IRCTs (Hamada grade 1-2; Goutallier cumulative grade ≥3; Patte stage 1: 2 patients; Patte stage 2: 6 patients; Patte stage 3: 14 patients) underwent ASCR using a minimally invasive harvested fascia lata autograft. All patients completed preoperative and 6-month evaluations consisting of the Simple Shoulder Test (SST), subjective shoulder value (SSV), Constant score (CS), range of motion (ROM), acromiohumeral interval (AHI), and magnetic resonance imaging. Twenty-one patients completed the 2-year shoulder and donor site morbidity assessments.Results:The mean active ROMs improved significantly (P < .001): elevation, from 74.8° ± 55.5° to 104.5° ± 41.9° (6 months) and 143.8° ± 31.7° (2 years); abduction, from 53.2° ± 43.3° to 86.6° ± 32.9° (6 months) and 120.7° ± 37.7° (2 years); external rotation, from 13.2° ± 18.4° to 27.0° ± 16.1° (6 months) and 35.6° ± 17.3° (2 years); and internal rotation, from 1.2 ± 1.5 points to 2.6 ± 1.5 points (6 months) and 3.8 ± 1.2 points (2 years). The mean functional shoulder scores improved significantly (P < .001): SST, from 2.1 ± 2.9 to 6.8 ± 3.5 (6 months) and 8.6 ± 3.5 (2 years); SSV, from 33.0% ± 17.4% to 55.7% ± 25.6% (6 months) and 70.0% ± 23.0% (2 years); CS, from 17.5 ± 13.4 to 42.5 ± 14.9 (6 months) and 64.9 ± 18.0 (2 years). The mean shoulder abduction strength improved significantly (P < .001) from 0.0 to 1.1 ± 1.4 kg (6 months) and 2.8 ± 2.6 kg (2 years). The mean AHI improved from 6.4 ± 3.3 mm to 8.0 ± 2.5 mm (6 months) and decreased to 7.1 ± 2.5 mm (2 years). This 0.7 ± 1.5–mm overall decrease was statistically significant (P = .042). At 6 months, 20 of 22 patients (90.9%) had no graft tears. At 2 years, 12 of 21 patients (57.1%) were bothered by their harvested thigh, 16 (76.2%) noticed donor site changes, 16 (76.2%) considered that the shoulder surgery’s end result compensated for the thigh’s changes, and 18 (85.7%) would undergo the same surgery again.Conclusion:ASCR using a minimally invasive harvested fascia lata autograft produced good 6-month and 2-year shoulder outcomes in IRCTs, with low-impact thigh morbidity at 2 years.

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Case series, level IV.

Background: The clinical importance of graft type and integrity in arthroscopic superior capsular reconstruction (ASCR) remains controversial. Purpose: To assess 3-year clinical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) outcomes of ASCR using a minimally invasively harvested fascia lata autograft (FLA) for irreparable rotator cuff tears (IRCTs) and to determine the clinical importance of graft integrity and whether the results change from year 2 to 3. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A total of 22 consecutive patients who underwent ASCR with a minimally invasively harvested FLA were enrolled in a prospective single-arm study. At 3 years, the patients answered a satisfaction questionnaire and underwent a clinical examination and MRI. The MRI scans were independently reviewed by 3 raters to determine the graft integrity, acromiohumeral interval, supraspinatus atrophy, and fatty degeneration of the rotator cuff muscles. Reliability statistics were calculated, and the outcomes were compared across subgroups of patients with and without complete graft tears. Results: Overall, 21 patients (95.5%) answered the questionnaire, 20/21 (95.2%) were satisfied, 4/20 (20.0%) reported donor site pain, and 19 patients (86.4%) underwent examinations. From preoperatively to 3 years, the mean improvement was 73.68° in elevation (95% CI, 47.59°-99.77°), 89.21° in abduction (95% CI, 66.56°-111.86°), 24.74° in external rotation (95% CI, 4.72°-34.75°), 3.00 in internal rotation (95% CI, 2.36-3.64), 2.61 kg in abduction strength (95% CI, 1.76-3.45 kg), 50.79 on the Constant score (CS; 95% CI, 41.99-59.58), 7.47 on the Simple Shoulder Test (SST; 95% CI, 5.19-9.75), and 36.05% on the subjective shoulder value (SSV; 95% CI, 23.19%-48.92%), which were all significant ( P < .05). From 2 to 3 years, the mean improvement in abduction was 20.26° (95% CI, 5.44°-35.09°), which was significant ( P = .010). At 3 years, the raters perfectly agreed (kappa = 1; P = .000013) that 4 patients (21.1%) had complete graft tears; this subgroup of patients had decreased external rotation strength at 90° of abduction (1.77 ± 0.17 vs 4.45 ± 2.55 kg, respectively; P = .027) and increased grades of infraspinatus (3.50 ± 0.58 vs 2.20 ± 1.01, respectively; P = .030) and teres minor fatty degeneration (3.25 ± 0.96 vs 1.53 ± 0.64, respectively; P = .005) compared with those without a complete graft tear, but the mean CS, SST, and SSV scores did not differ from those of the overall group (69.50 ± 5.20 vs 69.63 ± 18.25; 9.00 ± 2.31 vs 9.74 ± 4.73; and 72.50 ± 15.00 vs 71.58 ± 26.70, respectively). Conclusion: The 3-year clinical outcomes of ASCR using a minimally invasively harvested FLA for IRCTs were good, despite donor site morbidity. Active abduction improved significantly from 2 to 3 years. Complete graft tears were correlated with significantly decreased external rotation strength at 90° of shoulder abduction and increased grades of infraspinatus and teres minor fatty degeneration. Registration: NCT03663036 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier)

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