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In 14 cadaveric shoulders, a rotator cuff tear (2 cm wide and 1.5 cm long) was created and repaired under a 3-kg tensile force with the arm in adduction. Strain on the repaired tendon was measured at 0 degrees, 15 degrees, 30 degrees, and 45 degrees of elevation in the sagittal, scapular, and coronal planes and from 60 degrees of internal rotation to 60 degrees of external rotation. The strain in all of the planes decreased significantly with the arm elevated more than 30 degrees. With 30 degrees of elevation in the scapular and coronal planes, the strain increased in internal rotation and decreased in external rotation. In all of the positions measured, the strain in the sagittal plane was significantly greater than in the other planes. We concluded that more than 30 degrees of elevation in the coronal or scapular plane and rotation ranging from 0 degrees to 60 degrees of external rotation compose the safe range of motion after repair of the rotator cuff.

We studied the strain on the superior labrum of 10 fresh-frozen cadaveric shoulders with the arm in simulated positions of a pitching motion. We used linear transducers to measure the strain in both the anterior and posterior superior labrum with the arm in various planes and rotations simulating the motions of pitching: early cocking, late cocking, acceleration, deceleration, and follow-through. Predetermined loads, according to the percent of maximum voluntary contraction of the biceps muscle during each phase of pitching, were calculated and applied to the long head of the biceps tendon using a spring device. Only during the late cocking phase, when the arm was in maximal external rotation, was the increase in strain statistically significant for the anterior and posterior portions and the strain on the posterior portion significantly greater than that on the anterior portion of the labrum. The increased strain in the posterior portion may be due to the anatomic orientation of the long head of the biceps tendon at the superior labrum. The increased strain in the late cocking phase may contribute to the detachment of the labrum with the eccentric contraction of the biceps muscle that occurs with rapid extension of the elbow.