The Correlation between Various Shoulder Anatomical Indices on X‐Ray and Subacromial Impingement and Morphology of Rotator Cuff Tears

Abstract

ObjectivesRotator cuff injury caused by subacromial impingement presents different morphologies. This study aims to investigate the correlation between various shoulder anatomical indexes on X‐ray with subacromial impingement and morphology of rotator cuff tears to facilitate surgical management.MethodThis retrospective study was carried out between January 2020 and May 2022. Patients who were diagnosed as sub‐acromial impingement associated with rotator cuff tears (without tendon retraction) and received arthroscopic surgery were enrolled in this study. The radiographic indexes of acromial slope (AS), acromial tilt (AT), lateral acromial angle (LAA), acromial Index (AI), and sub‐acromial distance (SAD) were measured on preoperative true AP view and outlet view. The location of rotator cuff tear (anterior, middle, posterior, medial, and lateral) and morphology of tear (horizontal, longitudinal, L‐shaped, and irregular shaped) were evaluated by arthroscopy. Groups were set up due to different tear location and tear morphologies, by comparing the various radiographic indices between each group (one‐way analysis of variance and t‐test), the correlation between radiographic indices and tear characteristics was investigated.ResultsWe analyzed 92 shoulders from 92 patients with a mean age of 57.23 ± 8.45 years. The AS in anterior tear group (29.32 ± 6.91°) was significantly larger than that in middle tear group (18.41 ± 6.13°) (p = 0.000) and posterior tear group (24.01 ± 7.69°) (p = 0.041). The AS in posterior tear group (24.01 ± 7.69°) was significantly larger than that in middle tear group (18.41 ± 6.13°) (p = 0.029). The LAA in middle tear group (67.41 ± 6.54°) was significantly smaller than that in posterior group (72.74 ± 8.78°) (p = 0.046). The AS in longitudinal tear group (26.86 ± 8.41°) was significantly larger than that in horizontal tear group (22.05 ± 9.47°) (p = 0.035) and L‐shaped group (21.56 ± 6.62°) (p = 0.032). The LAA in horizontal group (70.60 ± 6.50°) was significantly larger than that in L‐shaped group (66.39 ± 7.31°) (p = 0.033). The AI in L‐shaped tear group (0.832 ± 0.074) was significantly larger than that in horizontal tear group (0.780 ± 0.084) (p = 0.019) and irregular tear group (0.781 ± 0.068) (p = 0.047).ConclusionAcromion with a larger AS and a smaller LAA tend to cause anterior or posterior rotator cuff tears rather than middle tears in sub‐acromial impingement. Meanwhile acromion with a larger AS tends to cause a longitudinal tear, a larger LAA tends to cause horizontal tears and a larger AI tends to cause L‐shaped tears.

Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Special Issue

“…This issue features 32 professional articles, including three review articles, 21 clinical articles, four research articles, two operative techniques, and two case reports, contributed by well-known orthopaedic experts from China, the United States, Korea, and Europe.The elbow section of this issue includes papers on arthroscopy, 1 open surgery in elbow stiffness, 2,3 fractures, 4 total elbow arthroplasty, 5 and conservative methods of treatment. 6 The shoulder section addresses a multitude of anatomic details as well as techniques, including clavicular shaft and distal fractures, acromioclavicular joint traumatic and degenerative conditions, [7][8][9][10][11] rotator cuff pathologies and fixation techniques, treatment of the post-surgical or post-traumatic glenohumeral stiffness, fractures of the proximal humerus, 5,[12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21] the safety of irrigation in the shoulder arthroscopy, management of the scapular and glenoid fractures, radiologic and 3D models. [22][23][24][25][26][27][28][29][30][31] Overall, this special issue contains plenty of meaningful readings for surgeons specializing in shoulder and elbow surgery and for general orthopaedic and trauma specialists, as well as for orthopaedic residents and young surgeons worldwide.…”

“…The elbow section of this issue includes papers on arthroscopy , 1 open surgery in elbow stiffness 2 , 3 fractures , 4 total elbow arthroplasty , 5 and conservative methods of treatment. 6 The shoulder section addresses a multitude of anatomic details as well as techniques, including clavicular shaft and distal fractures, acromioclavicular joint traumatic and degenerative conditions, 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 rotator cuff pathologies and fixation techniques, treatment of the post‐surgical or post‐traumatic glenohumeral stiffness, fractures of the proximal humerus, 5 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 the safety of irrigation in the shoulder arthroscopy, management of the scapular and glenoid fractures, radiologic and 3D models. 22 , 23 , 24 , 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 …”

CORR Insights®: High Acromial Slope and Low Acromiohumeral Distance Increase the Risk of Retear of the Supraspinatus Tendon After Repair

“…Finally, most relevant articles on the topic (including this one by Caffard et al [3]) have focused exclusively on the relationship between acromial and glenoid morphology and rerupture of the supraspinatus tendon. But it is wellestablished that various acromial and glenoid parameters have a direct effect on the size, location, and pattern of primary rotator cuff tears, and this effect appears to include all rotator cuff tendons [9,11,18]. Therefore, future studies should be performed to improve our understanding of the relationship between acromial and glenoid morphology and reruptures of the infraspinatus, subscapularis, and teres minor tendons.…”