Tokish, John M.

Hill‐Sachs lesions are defects in the posterior humeral head from anterior glenoid impaction during dislocation. Left untreated, they can contribute to failure after arthroscopic Bankart repair. Arthroscopic remplissage, involving capsulotenodesis of the posterior capsule and infraspinatus tendon, is the most frequently performed approach to address this lesion. In this technical note, we describe a bone graft remplissage that augments the remplissage with the arthroscopic insertion of a flexible bone graft between the capsule and the sutures to fill the Hill‐Sachs defect. Once secured, the graft is compressed into the defect to create a biological scaffold. This technique combines the simplicity of the knotless remplissage technique with the addition of structural bone graft to Hill‐Sachs lesions.

Purpose To evaluate retear rates, clinical outcomes, and complications of a consecutive series of full‐thickness rotator cuff repair cases augmented with an autograft biceps patch. Methods A retrospective review was performed of patients undergoing rotator cuff repair with autograft biceps patch augmentation. Patients underwent either magnetic resonance imaging or ultrasound to evaluate rotator cuff repair integrity at a minimum of 6 months postoperatively. Patient‐reported outcomes including the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Score and Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation score were also collected and evaluated for clinical significance at a minimum of 12 months postoperatively. Analysis of retear rates was performed by comparing observed retear rates to expected retear rates using the modified Rotator Cuff Healing Index score. Results The final cohort included 25 rotator cuff repair cases. Postoperative imaging was obtained by magnetic resonance imaging in 22 patients at a mean of 9 months postoperatively (range, 6.0‐15.3 months) and ultrasound in 3 patients at a mean of 30.4 months (range, 28.8‐32.2 months). The expected retear rate using the modified Rotator Cuff Healing Index score was 21.5% for the entire cohort. There was 1 retear, resulting in an actual retear rate of 4% at an average of 23.5‐month follow‐up ( P = .0196). The average Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation score was 93 (standard deviation 9), and the average American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Score was 96 (standard deviation 6.3) at an average of 23.5‐month follow‐up (range 14‐32). Patient acceptable symptomatic state was achieved by 96% of the cohort for the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Score and 88% of the cohort for the Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation score. There were no cases of reoperation or complications. Conclusions In this consecutive series, the biceps autograft “smash” patch for rotator cuff augmentation resulted in a low rate of retears, favorable patient‐reported outcomes, and no complications. This augmentation option has the potential to be safe and effective for improving rotator cuff repair healing rates. Level of Evidence Level IV, retrospective case series.

Abstract Arthroscopic posterior labral repair is an effective surgical technique for managing patients with posterior labral tears and symptomatic unidirectional posterior shoulder instability. It is well documented that a curved liberator from the mid‐glenoid (anterior‐inferior) portal passed from anterior to posterior provides an effective trajectory for liberation and mobilization of the posterior and posterior‐inferior labral tear. However, biologic preparation of the posterior and inferior glenoid rim with a shaver can be challenging because the anterior mid‐glenoid portal and the posterior portal do not provide an adequate trajectory for instruments to be parallel to the posterior glenoid rim. The purpose of this technical note is to describe a simple efficient procedure for biologic preparation of the posterior and inferior glenoid rim in the setting of arthroscopic posterior labral repair. Technique Video video See video under supplementary data.

Objectives: Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) are widely used for pain control in musculoskeletal conditions. The purpose of this study was to determine if long-term use of NSAIDs increases the incidience of rotator cuff tears. Methods: A retrospective comparative study using a national insurance database was performed. All patients who had a diagnosis of long-term NSAID use with active records in the database for at least 1 year or 2 years were identified. These patients were matched 1:1 to controls without NSAID use based on age, gender, and Elixhauser comorbidity index. Rotator cuff tendon tear rates were compared between each group. Sub-group analyses in the following age-ranges for each sex was also done: 35-45, 46-55, 56-65, 66-75. Results: A total of 499,240 patients who had a history of long-term NSAID use were evaluated. 10,180 patients sustained a rotator cuff tear compared to 7,471 control patients (2.04% vs. 1.50%, respectively), with an adjusted OR of 1.18 (95% CI: 1.14-1.21; P<0.001). Male chronic NSAID users in the 46 to 55 age range had higher rates of rotator cuff tears compared to control patients of the same demographics (OR: 1.41; 95% CI 1.30 – 1.52; P<0.001). Female chronic NSAID users in the 46 to 55 age range had higher rates of rotator cuff tears compared to control patients of the same demographics (OR: 1.40; 95% CI 1.31 – 1.49; P<0.001). Comparable results were seen in the 56-65 age range for both males and females. Further, chronic NSAID users (n=1,888; 18.5%) underwent rotator cuff repair at higher rates compared to controls (n=1,223; 16.4%). Conclusions: Long-term NSAID use significantly increases the rates of rotator cuff tendon tears at the 1-year and 2-year follow-up periods, which is particularly notable in the middle-aged population. These findings suggest that middle aged patients with long-term NSAID use may be at a higher risk for rotator cuff tendon tears.

Purpose To evaluate which patient factors are associated with specific metrics of poor access to care in patients with a rotator cuff tear (RCT). Methods The All of Us Database was utilized to form a cohort of patients with RCT between May 2018 and May 2023. Patients with a diagnosis of RCT using Systematized Nomenclature of Medicine clinical terms were included. The association of RCT diagnosis and patient‐specific factors on self‐reported outcomes of “delayed care,” “could not afford care,” “skipped medication,” and “have not seen provider in more than 1 year” were analyzed. Statistical tests performed were univariate regression and multivariable logistic regression. Results In total, 4,265 patients with RCT who completed the access to care survey were included. In the RCT cohort, 26.7% reported delayed care, 24.9% reported an inability to afford care, 12.1% reported skipped medications, and 1.7% reported not seeing a provider in more than 1 year. Multivariable analysis of patient treatment and demographic features revealed younger age, female sex, lower income, poor physical health, and poor mental health to be strongly associated with higher reported rates of delayed care, inability to afford care, and skipped medications. History of rotator cuff repair, marital status, and sexual orientation were not associated with reported poor access to care. Conclusions A quarter of patients with rotator cuff tears report delays in overall medical care and inability to afford care. Among patients diagnosed with RCT, patients of younger age, female sex, low income, and poor physical and mental health have higher odds of decreased access to health care. Clinical Relevance Health care disparities and access to care are topics that should be investigated to reduce them.

Background: Currently, biomarkers do not have a role in diagnosis or outcome prediction models for patients with recurrent anterior shoulder instability. Purpose/Hypothesis: The purpose of this study was to compare gene expression differences in the blood and tissue of patients with anterior shoulder instability with and without significant glenoid bone loss (GBL). The hypothesis was that the severity of GBL would be associated with the expression level of genes in the blood and capsular tissue of patients with anterior shoulder instability. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Methods: Consecutive patients with anterior shoulder instability undergoing arthroscopic and open shoulder stabilization were prospectively enrolled. Blood and anterior capsular tissue specimens obtained during surgery were compared between patients with significant GBL (≥10%) and patients without significant GBL (<10%). RNA was extracted, and a panel of 277 inflammatory genes was utilized to quantify gene expression at the RNA level using a probe-based RNA quantification platform. Differential expression analysis was performed to identify genes expressed at different levels between patients with and without significant GBL. The expression levels of the subset of genes identified were used to generate a ridge regression model to predict the severity of GBL. Quantitative polymerase chain reaction was performed to confirm probe-based RNA findings. Results: A total of 17 patients were included, with a mean age of 26 years. Overall, 7 patients had <10% GBL (mean, 2.3%), and 10 patients had ≥10% GBL (mean, 16.4%). There were 9 genes that were identified as significantly differentially expressed in the blood, and 5 of these ( IFIT1 , IFIT3 , IFI44 , PRKCB , and OAS2 with P values of 1 × 10 −5 , 1 × 10 −4 , 1 × 10 −4 , 1 × 10 −4 , and 6 × 10 −4 , respectively) were confirmed using nonparametric tests. The authors developed a model using the 5 genes to predict the severity of GBL, and this had an accuracy of 88% (95% CI, 64%-99%). By quantitative polymerase chain reaction, IFIT3 was confirmed to be significantly differentially expressed ( P = .012). Conclusion: There were significant gene expression differences in the blood of patients with (≥10%) and without (<10%) significant GBL. The differential expression of 5 genes allowed for the development of an accurate predictive model and transcriptomic biomarker to predict the severity of GBL. Clinical Relevance: The addition of a blood biomarker to current outcome prediction models may provide increased accuracy in identifying those at risk of failure from arthroscopic Bankart repair.

Background Resilience refers to the ability to adapt or recover from stress. There is increasing appreciation that it plays an important role in wholistic patient-centered care and may affect patient outcomes, including those of orthopaedic surgery. Despite being a focus of the current orthopaedic evidence, there is no strong understanding yet of whether resilience is a stable patient quality or a dynamic one that may be modified perioperatively to improve patient-reported outcome scores. Questions/purposes (1) Does resilience change postoperatively? (2) How do outcome measures change postoperatively in relation to resilience grouping? (3) For patients who do have resilience instability (change in resilience of ≥ 1 SD between any two follow-up points), how were patient-level factors, surgical characteristics, and outcome measures associated with instability? Methods In this single-surgeon, retrospective, comparative study, we identified all patients who underwent shoulder surgery between March 2021 and March 2023 from the medical records of one US military teaching hospital, resulting in 144 initial patients. Data on resilience (measured by the Brief Resilience Scale) and outcomes (assessed using the Numeric Rating Scale [NRS] and the Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation [SANE]) were collected for all patients and maintained in a longitudinal outcomes score database. Patients younger than 18 years of age (1% [1 of 144]) who underwent surgery for fracture, acute tendon rupture (8% [11 of 144]), or revision surgery (3% [4 of 144]); had concomitant shoulder conditions (such as, instability or rotator cuff tear) (1% [2 of 144]); or had incomplete follow-up data (4% [5 of 144]) were excluded, leaving 84% (121 of 144) of the original sample size for analysis. Among the patients, 12% (15 of 121) were women, the mean age was 41 ± 15 years, and the most common indication for surgery was instability (40% [48 of 121]) followed by rotator cuff repair (29% [35 of 121]). Based on their preoperative Brief Resilience Scale and its deviation from the mean, patients were stratified into low (> 1 SD below mean), intermediate (within 1 SD above and below mean), and high (> 1 SD above mean) resilience groups. Preoperatively, 19% (23 of 121) of patients were classified as low resilience, 62% (75 of 121) as intermediate resilience, and 19% (23 of 121) as high resilience. The mean ± SD preoperative Brief Resilience Scale score was 25 ± 4. The Brief Resilience Scale is a six-item scale with a calculated summary score ranging from 6 to 30. A higher score is suggestive of greater perceived resilience. There were no differences in the preoperative Brief Resilience Scale score with regard to age, gender, type of surgery performed, or outcome measures. Patient resilience was followed during the postoperative period for a minimum of 6 months, and instability in the scale was evaluated. Instability in resilience was defined as change in Brief Resilience Scale score by > 1 SD from one follow-up time point to another. Perioperative NRS and SANE outcomes, in addition to demographic data, were utilized to evaluate the relationship between resilience and patient-level factors. Results Brief Resilience Scale groups across all time points remained consistent with no change in grouping or crossover in groups except for patients with low resilience who had an increase in mean ± SD Brief Resilience Scale score by the final follow-up (18 ± 3 versus 20 ± 4; p < 0.05). Regardless of resilience group, there was a decrease in mean ± SD NRS (4.4 ± 2.2 versus 2.4 ± 2.3; p < 0.001) and an improvement in mean ± SD SANE (46 ± 19 versus 69 ± 21; p < 0.001) scores during the postoperative period. At the 1- to 2-month follow-up and the 6- to 10-month follow-up visits, patients with high resilience were more likely to have lower NRS scores than patients with intermediate resilience (1.8 ± 1.0 versus 3.8 ± 2.3; p = 0.003) and low resilience (1.5 ± 1.8 versus 3.3 ± 2.4; p < 0.001), respectively. No relationship was observed between resilience groups and SANE scores, surgical category, and percentage of patients meeting the minimum clinically important difference (MCID) of the NRS or the SANE. Regarding resilience instability, 46% (56 of 121) of patients were categorized as having a Brief Resilience Scale change of ≥ 1 SD from baseline during the postoperative period. Gender (r = 0.03; p = 0.21), age (p = 0.81), and surgical category (r = 0.01; p = 0.88) were not associated with the likelihood of resilience instability. Individuals whose resilience increased had a lower starting Brief Resilience Scale score than those whose resilience stayed the same (22 ± 4 versus 25 ± 4, respectively; p < 0.001) or those whose resilience decreased (22 ± 4 versus 26 ± 3, respectively; p < 0.001). Conclusion When evaluated by resilience group, the trait appears static; however, at the individual level, resilience appears dynamic and complex. Patients with high resilience may have less postoperative pain. Identification of patients with low resilience may indicate patients who experience more dynamic change in this psychometric property. Level of Evidence Level III, therapeutic study.

Background: The Latarjet and other bony augmentation procedures are commonly used to treat anterior shoulder instability in the setting of significant glenoid bone loss. Although several fixation strategies have been reported, the biomechanical strength of these techniques remains poorly understood. Purpose: To perform a systematic review of the biomechanical strength of glenoid bony augmentation procedures for anterior shoulder instability. Study Design: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: A systematic search of the Medline, Embase, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library databases was performed to identify biomechanical studies evaluating various fixation strategies for coracoid and other bone transfer procedures for anterior shoulder instability. Biomechanical results included load to failure with both compression and traction forces, stiffness, and cyclic displacement. The quality of included articles was assessed based on the Quality Appraisal for Cadaveric Studies (QUACS) scale. Results: A total of 21 biomechanical studies comprising 486 specimens were included. The number of screws used and the addition of washers were found to significantly increase rigidity and load to failure. The comparison of fixation techniques demonstrated mixed results in load to failure between screw and alternative constructs including suture buttons and suture anchors. However, studies that tested graft displacement consistently found more graft displacement in buttons compared with screws. The median and mean of the QUACS scale were both 12, with a range of 10-13. Conclusion: Biomechanical studies consistently demonstrated that when glenoid bone grafts were fixed with screws, the number of screws and use of washers significantly increased construct rigidity and load to failure. Different metal screw materials and sizes did not consistently demonstrate a significant difference in biomechanical strength. There are mixed results when comparing suture buttons to screw fixation. The evaluated studies revealed that all double metal screw constructs and the majority of suture button and anchor constructs were able to withstand the glenohumeral load reflective of activities of daily living using a 150-N threshold.

Collaboration between military and civilian investigators is necessary to develop strategies for optimizing treatments to diminish the sequelae of non–battle-related musculoskeletal injuries, which are highly prevalent among servicemembers. The 2024 Extremity War Injuries Symposium provided a forum whereby a diverse group of clinicians and researchers could develop strategies for optimizing treatments and diminishing the sequelae of conditions that are highly prevalent among active individuals. Key points were as follows: 1. The value of collaborations between military and civilian investigators cannot be overemphasized. These synergies can leverage the capabilities of established infrastructures in order to answer important questions pertaining to short-term outcomes—for example, warrior readiness of anterior cruciate ligament reconstructions among servicemembers and long-term posttraumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA) outcomes among civilian cohorts. 2. Current and future prospective trials will inform future treatment decisions related to multiligamentous knee injuries and glenohumeral instability. 3. Novel approaches to addressing PTOA in the acute postinjury period will need longitudinal surveillance to measure their impact on improving clinical outcomes and diminishing residual functional deficits.

Purpose To determine whether long‐term preoperative nonsteroidal anti‐inflammatory drug (NSAID) use affected the revision rates after primary tendon repair for the following common sports medicine surgical procedures: rotator cuff repair (RCR), Achilles tendon repair (ATR), distal biceps repair (DBR), or quadriceps tendon repair (QTR). Methods A retrospective comparative study using a national insurance database was performed. Patients who underwent major tendon repair, including RCR, ATR, DBR, or QTR, with at least 2‐year follow‐up were identified. Those who had a diagnosis of long‐term NSAID use prior to the index operation were identified and matched 1:4 to controls without NSAID use based on age, sex, specific tendon repaired, and Elixhauser Comorbidity Index. The revision repair rates of the 2 groups were compared. Results A total of 36,068 patients underwent major tendon repair. Of these, 7,246 (20%) met the long‐term NSAID use criteria prior to tendon repair (NSAID users). After RCR, 3.2% of NSAID users (n = 190) and 2.6% of controls (n = 617) underwent revision surgery within 2 years (odds ratio [OR], 1.15; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.97‐1.36; P = .10). After ATR, NSAID users had a revision rate of 3.9% (n = 24) versus 2.5% (n = 62) in the control cohort (OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 0.89‐2.38; P = .12). After DBR, both NSAID users and controls had fewer than 11 revision cases (OR, 1.54; 95% CI, 0.49‐4.16; P = .42). After QTR, the revision rate was 5.9% (n = 30) for NSAID users compared with 4.8% (n = 95) for the control group (OR, 1.22; 95% CI, 0.77‐1.86; P = .38). None of the observed differences in revision rates between NSAID users and controls were significant. Conclusions Patients with a diagnosis of and coding for long‐term preoperative NSAID use do not have greater revision rates within 2 years of primary tendon repair than patients without this diagnosis. Level of Evidence Level III, retrospective case‐control study.