Till, Sara E.

Objectives: Background: Although they are common, there remains a paucity of data regarding traumatic anterior shoulder dislocations (ASI) associated with anteroinferior glenoid rim fractures (AGRF) in older patients. Purpose: To describe the incidence of AGRF in this population following ASI, identify risk factors for AGRF, compare treatment strategies, and compare clinical outcomes of patients with and without an associated AGRF. Methods: An established geographic medical record system was used to identify patients >50 years of age with ASI between 1994 and 2016. Patients with radiographic evidence of AGRF were identified and matched 1:1 to patients without AGRF. Comparative analysis was conducted to determine differences between groups. Results: Overall, 186 patients were identified with a mean follow-up of 10.4 years (range, 2.0 – 25.4). Of these, 42 (22.6%) had AGRF and were matched to 42 control patients without AGRF. Average age was 58.9 and 58.2 years for the AGRF and control groups, respectively. Rates of surgical intervention (29% vs. 43%), recurrent instability (14% vs. 17%), progression of osteoarthritis (34% vs. 39%), and conversion to arthroplasty (2% vs. 5%) were similar between AGRF and control cohorts. Control patients were more likely to report recurrent pain (p=.046). For patients with AGRF, increased bone fragment size (OR 1.1) and increased BMI (OR 1.2) correlated with an increased risk for surgery. The cut-off value for surgery in patients with AGRF was a fragment size ≥33% of the glenoid width. Conclusions: In patients ≥ 50 years at presentation of ASI, 22.6% presented with an associated AGRF. Increased fragment size and greater patient BMI were significant factors associated with undergoing surgical intervention; however, most patients did not require surgery. Patients without AGRF were more likely to report recurrent pain, possibly due to a higher prevalence of rotator cuff derangement. Overall, the presence of an AGRF did not portend a worse prognosis as treatment strategies and long-term outcomes in terms of recurrent instability, progression of osteoarthritis, and conversion to arthroplasty were similar between patients with and without AGRF at the time of ASI diagnosis.

Objectives: Anterior shoulder instability (ASI) is a well-studied topic in young patients, however there is a dearth of knowledge about older patients with this pathology. The goals of this study were to describe patient demographics, injury characteristics and outcomes in patients >50 years old with anterior shoulder instability along with historical trends in diagnosis and treatment. Methods: An established geographic database was used to identify 179 patients who experienced new onset anterior shoulder instability after the age 50 between 1994-2016. Mean age was 59.7 years, mean BMI was 31.3 and 54.2% were female. The dominant arm was involved in 62.2% of instability events. 26.8% of our study population were laborers and 50% reported current or former smoking habits. The primary etiology for ASI involved trauma in 96.6% of cases. Comparative analysis was performed to identify differences between age groups. Mean follow up time was 11 years. Results: The overall incidence of ASI in our study population was 28.8/100,000 person years with the highest incidence in the age cohort 60-64 at 38.9/100,000 person years. At initial presentation, 73% of all patients were found to have a lesion apparent on either XR or MRI. Rotator cuff tears were found in 92.4% of all patients undergoing MRIs. 26.2% ultimately progressed to surgery at a mean time of 1.57 years after injury. 53% of all surgical procedures involved a rotator cuff repair whereas only 25% were performed for instability. In terms of historical trends, the one-year rate of obtaining an MRI after an ASI event has increased from 10% in the late 1990s to 46% in 2015-16. Similarly, the one-year rate of performing surgery has increased from 5.1% to 47% from 1994-1999 to 2015-2016. Conclusions: In our cohort, patients over the age of 50 with ASI were found to often have concomitant pathology on imaging, however only ¼ of all patients required surgery. Although the rate of ASI has stayed relatively stable over the last 20 years, the rate of obtaining an MRI and of surgical management has increased. [Figure: see text]

Objectives: Distal biceps tendon tears, although rare, significantly impair patient’s elbow mobility and function. There is a paucity of literature reporting outcomes of partial thickness tears to inform management strategies. Therefore, the authors sought to identify magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) confirmed partial thickness distal biceps tears and report on (1) demographics and treatment strategies, (2) outcomes and complications, and (3) any identifiable risk factors for progression to surgery or full thickness tear. Methods: Patients who experienced a partial thickness distal biceps tear confirmed on MRI from 1996 to 2016 were identified by a musculoskeletal radiologist through an institutional image database. Patients were included if they had complete medical records and at least one visit of clinical follow-up. Patients with inflammatory arthritis and enthesitis, polytrauma, or incidental findings without clinical assessment were excluded. Medical records were reviewed to confirm the diagnosis and obtain study details. Multivariate logistic regression models were created using baseline characteristics, injury details and physical exam findings in order to predict operative intervention. Results: Overall, 111 patients (22F, 89M, age: 53.6 years ± 13) were identified and included. Baseline injury characteristics and patient demographics including weakness in elbow flexion, forearm supination, and patient reported sensation at time of injury were all found to be statistically different between treatment groups (Table 1). Patients were followed to a mean of 10 years of clinical follow up. Within the cohort, 57 patients were treated non-operatively, while 54 were treated operatively. Patients who received surgical intervention were more likely to report missing time from work and greater loss of productivity due to missed time (Table 2); however, almost 90% of patients returned to work without restrictions, regardless of treatment modality (88% vs 88%, Table 2). For surgical patients, there were 5 re-operations (9%), 3 re-ruptures (6%), and overall, 31% of the operatively treated cohort experienced a complication. Results of the final multivariate logistic regression model are included in Table 3; final model variables included age at initial consult, tenderness to palpation tendon insertion on exam, and supination weakness. Of these, supination weakness at initial consult was found to be a statistically significant predictor for surgical intervention (p=.001, OR=24.8). Conclusions: Operative patients tended to be male with more profound supination weakness; these patients tended to report increased loss of productivity due to time missed after treatment. At 10 year clinical follow up 31% experienced some complication and 9% underwent a re-operation. However, patients demonstrated uniform ability to return to work without modification and no statistical differences in functional outcomes, regardless of treatment modality. Patients who suffer from a partial distal biceps tear should be counseled that operative management represents a balance of returning function with potential complications and increased loss of productivity. [Table: see text][Table: see text][Table: see text]