Matthew D. Saltzman

Efficacy of Surgical Preparation Solutions in Shoulder Surgery

BACKGROUND Deep infection following shoulder surgery is a rare but devastating problem. The use of an effective skin-preparation solution may be an important step in preventing infection. The purposes of the present study were to examine the native bacteria around the shoulder and to determine the efficacy of three different surgical skin-preparation solutions on the eradication of bacteria from the shoulder. METHODS A prospective study was undertaken to evaluate 150 consecutive patients undergoing shoulder surgery at one institution. Each shoulder was prepared with one of three randomly selected solutions: ChloraPrep (2% chlorhexidine gluconate and 70% isopropyl alcohol), DuraPrep (0.7% iodophor and 74% isopropyl alcohol), or povidone-iodine scrub and paint (0.75% iodine scrub and 1.0% iodine paint). Aerobic and anaerobic cultures were obtained prior to skin preparation for the first twenty patients, to determine the native bacteria around the shoulder, and following skin preparation for all patients. RESULTS Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus and Propionibacterium acnes were the most commonly isolated organisms prior to skin preparation. The overall rate of positive cultures was 31% in the povidone-iodine group, 19% in the DuraPrep group, and 7% in the ChloraPrep group. The positive culture rate for the ChloraPrep group was lower than that for the povidone-iodine group (p < 0.0001) and the DuraPrep group (p = 0.01). ChloraPrep and DuraPrep were more effective than povidone-iodine in eliminating coagulase-negative Staphylococcus from the shoulder region (p < 0.001 for both). No significant difference was detected among the agents in their ability to eliminate Propionibacterium acnes from the shoulder region. No infections occurred in any of the patients treated in this study at a minimum of ten months of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS ChloraPrep is more effective than DuraPrep and povidone-iodine at eliminating overall bacteria from the shoulder region. Both ChloraPrep and DuraPrep are more effective than povidone-iodine at eliminating coagulase-negative Staphylococcus from the shoulder.

Infection After Shoulder Surgery

Abstract Infection after shoulder surgery is rare but potentially devastating. Normal skin flora, including Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermidis, and Propionibacterium acnes, are the most commonly isolated pathogens. Perioperative measures to prevent infection are of paramount importance, and clinical acumen is necessary for diagnosis. Superficial infections may be managed with local wound measures and antibiotics; deep infections require surgical débridement in combination with antibiotic treatment. Treating physicians must make difficult decisions regarding antibiotic duration and the elimination of the offending organisms by resection arthroplasty, direct implant exchange, or staged revision arthroplasty. Eradication of a deep infection is usually successful, but the course of treatment is often protracted, and tissue destruction and scar may adversely affect functional outcome.

All-arthroscopic suprapectoral versus open subpectoral tenodesis of the long head of the biceps brachii

Objectives: Pathology of the long head of the biceps tendon is a recognized source of shoulder pain in adults that can be treated with tenotomy or tenodesis when non-operative measures are not effective. It is not clear whether arthroscopic or open biceps tenodesis has a clinical advantage. To date, we are not aware of any studies that directly compare clinical outcomes between an arthroscopic and an open technique for tenodesis of the long head of the biceps brachii. The purpose of this study was to determine whether a difference in outcomes and complications exists between matched cohorts after biceps tenodesis utilizing an open subpectoral versus an all-arthroscopic suprapectoral technique. Methods: A prospective database was reviewed for patients undergoing an all-arthroscopic suprapectoral or open subpectoral biceps tenodesis. Adult patients with a minimum 18-month follow-up were included. Patients undergoing a concomitant rotator cuff or labral repair were excluded. The groups were matched to age within 3 years, sex, and time to follow-up within 3 months. Pain improvement, development of a popeye deformity, muscle cramping, post-operative ASES scores, satisfaction scores, and complications were evaluated. Results: Forty-six patients (23 all-arthroscopic, 23 open) patients with an average age of 57.2 years (range, 45-70) were evaluated at a mean 28.7 months (range, 18-42) follow-up. No patients in either group developed a popeye deformity or complained of arm cramping. There was no significant difference in mean ASES scores between the open and all-arthroscopic groups (92.7 vs. 88.9, P = 0.42, Table 1). Similarly, there was no significant difference between patient satisfaction scores (8.9 vs. 9.1, P = 0.73). Eighteen patients (78.3%) in the arthroscopic cohort and sixteen patients (69.6%) in the open cohort fully returned to athletic activity (P = 0.50). There were no complications in the all-arthroscopic group. There were two complications in the open group (superficial incisional erythema, and brachial plexopathy) that resolved by final follow-up. Conclusion: Biceps tenodesis is a reliable treatment option for pathology of the long head of the biceps that may avoid arm cramping and a cosmetic “popeye” deformity that can occur following tenotomy. Open subpectoral and all-arthroscopic suprapectoral are two commonly used techniques to reattach the biceps tendon distal to the bicipital groove. In this study, patients undergoing an all-arthroscopic tenodesis experienced similar pain relief, shoulder function, and return to athletic activity as patients undergoing an open tenodesis. An open subpectoral technique may increase the risk of complications secondary to a larger incision and increased surgical dissection. Larger studies with longer follow-up would help delineate the long-term effects and potential differences between an all-arthroscopic suprapectoral and open subpectoral biceps tenodesis.

Health-related quality of life in patients with transtibial amputation and reconstruction with bone bridging of the distal tibia and fibula.

Background: Bone-bridging (arthrodesis of the distal tibia and fibula) at the time of transtibial amputation is a controversial operative technique that is anecdotally reported to improve the weightbearing capacity of the residual limb and to decrease residual limb discomfort. Methods: Thirty-two consecutive patients with multiple diagnoses had transtibial amputation with a distal tibial-fibular bone-bridge, all done by a single surgeon (MAP). At an average of 16.3 months after surgery all patients completed the Prosthetics Evaluation Questionnaire (PEQ), a validated outcomes instrument specifically created to evaluate quality of life and functional demands in patients with a lower extremity amputations. Their responses were compared with those of 17 preselected, highly functional transtibial amputees from two academic medical centers who previously had transtibial amputations using a traditional non bone-bridge operative technique; their time since amputation averaged 14.7 years. Results: The “nonselected” consecutive patients with a bone-bridged residual limb scored higher (more favorable) in the Ambulation (p = 0.037) and Frustration (p < 0.001) domains of the PEQ and lower (less favorable) in the Appearance (p = 0.025) subscale. Their scores were similar in the other six domains. Conclusions: Patients of multiple ages with multiple diagnoses who had bone-bridging of the distal tibia and fibula at the time of transtibial amputation had scores on a validated outcomes instrument that were better than or comparable to those of a selected group of highly functional transtibial amputees. The results of this study suggest that bone-bridging at the time of transtibial amputation may enhance patient-perceived functional outcomes.

Acromioclavicular Joint Injuries in the National Football League Epidemiology and Management

Background: Previous studies investigating acromioclavicular (AC) joint injuries in professional American football players have only been reported on quarterbacks during the 1980s and 1990s. These injuries have not been evaluated across all position players in the National Football League (NFL). Purpose: The purpose of this study was 4-fold: (1) to determine the incidence of AC joint injuries among all NFL position players; (2) to investigate whether player position, competition setting, type of play, and playing surface put an athlete at an increased risk for this type of injury; (3) to determine the incidence of operative and nonoperative management of these injuries; and (4) to compare the time missed for injuries treated nonoperatively to the time missed for injuries requiring surgical intervention. Study Design: Descriptive epidemiological study. Methods: All documented injuries of the AC joint were retrospectively analyzed using the NFL Injury Surveillance System (NFLISS) over a 12-season period from 2000 through 2011. The data were analyzed by the anatomic location, player position, field conditions, type of play, requirement of surgical management, days missed per injury, and injury incidence. Results: Over 12 NFL seasons, there were a total of 2486 shoulder injuries, with 727 (29.2%) of these injuries involving the AC joint. The overall rate of AC joint injuries in these athletes was 26.1 injuries per 10,000 athlete exposures, with the majority of these injuries occurring during game activity on natural grass surfaces (incidence density ratio, 0.79) and most often during passing plays. These injuries occurred most frequently in defensive backs, wide receivers, and special teams players; however, the incidence of these injuries was greatest in quarterbacks (20.9 injuries per 100 players), followed by special teams players (20.7/100) and wide receivers (16.5/100). Overall, these athletes lost a mean of 9.8 days per injury, with quarterbacks losing the most time to injury (mean, 17.3 days). The majority of these injuries were low-grade AC joint sprains that were treated with nonoperative measures; only 13 (1.7%) required surgical management. Players who underwent surgical management lost a mean of 56.2 days. Conclusion: Shoulder injuries, particularly those of the AC joint, occur frequently in the NFL. These injuries can result in time lost but rarely require operative management. Quarterbacks had the highest incidence of injury; however, this incidence is lower than in previous investigations that evaluated these injuries during the 1980s and 1990s.

Postsurgical Chondrolysis of the Shoulder

There are multiple reports in the literature of chondrolysis following arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Although the etiology of these cases is not known for certain, there has been speculation that radiofrequency devices, young patient age, instability surgery, intra-articular pain pumps, and type of anesthetic may be precipitating factors. This article describes a case of a 37-year-old law enforcement officer who injured both shoulders and ultimately underwent nearly identical bilateral procedures: arthroscopic superior labrum anteroposterior (SLAP) repair, Bankart repair, capsulorrhaphy, acromioplasty, and distal clavicle excision. Intra-articular pain catheters were placed following both procedures, but the right-sided catheter never functioned properly, as evidenced by continuous leakage outside of her body until it was removed. Subsequently she had an arthroscopic lysis of adhesions done for residual stiffness, in which the left humeral head and glenoid cavity were noted to be completely devoid of articular cartilage. Over the ensuing months, multiple cortisone injections, 5 viscosupplementation injections, physical therapy, and narcotics all failed to relieve her left shoulder pain. Radiographs showed significant left glenohumeral joint space narrowing and a normal-appearing joint space on the right. Our impression was postsurgical chondrolysis of the left shoulder. The patient has recently undergone humeral hemiarthroplasty with nonprosthetic glenoid arthroplasty. This case differs from others reported in the literature in that nearly identical bilateral procedures were performed by the same surgeon, yet chondrolysis only developed on the side that had a functioning postoperative pain catheter.

Biologic and pharmacologic augmentation of rotator cuff repairs.

As rotator cuff repair techniques have improved, failure of the tendon to heal to the proximal humerus is less likely to occur from weak tendon-to-bone fixation. More likely causes of failure include biologic factors such as intrinsic tendon degeneration, fatty atrophy, fatty infiltration of muscle, and lack of vascularity of the tendons. High failure rates have led to the investigation of biologic augmentation to potentially enhance the healing response. Histologic studies have shown that restoration of the rotator cuff footprint during repair can help reestablish the enthesis. In animal models, growth factors and their delivery scaffolds as well as tissue engineering have shown promise in decreasing scar tissue while maintaining biomechanical strength. Platelet-rich plasma may be a safe adjuvant to rotator cuff repair, but it has not been shown to improve healing or function. Many of these strategies need to be further defined to permit understanding of, and to optimize, the biologic environment; in addition, techniques need to be refined for clinical use.

Comparison of Patients Undergoing Primary Shoulder Arthroplasty Before and After the Age of Fifty

BACKGROUND The reported outcomes of shoulder arthroplasty in patients under the age of fifty years are worse than those in patients over fifty. While there are several possible explanations for this finding, we explored the possibility that patients who had a primary shoulder arthroplasty when they were under fifty years of age differed from those who had the procedure when they were over fifty with respect to their pre-arthroplasty self-assessed comfort and function, sex distribution, and specific type of arthritis. METHODS The study group consisted of patients with glenohumeral arthritis who were treated with a primary shoulder arthroplasty by the same surgeon between 1990 and 2008. For each decade of age, the sex distribution, the pre-arthroplasty self-assessed shoulder comfort and function, and the prevalence of twelve different diagnoses were documented. We reviewed the series for three potential causes of worse outcomes in patients under fifty years of age as compared with those over fifty years of age: (1) a higher percentage of women, (2) a lower score for pre-arthroplasty self-assessed comfort and function, and (3) more complex pathological conditions. RESULTS Patients under the age of fifty years were not more likely than those over fifty to be female or to have a lower pre-arthroplasty self-assessed comfort and function score, but they did have more complex pathological conditions, such as capsulorrhaphy arthropathy, rheumatoid arthritis, and posttraumatic arthritis. Only 21% of the younger patients had primary degenerative joint disease, whereas 66% of the older patients had that diagnosis. This difference was significant (p < 0.000000001). CONCLUSIONS Surgeons performing shoulder arthroplasty in individuals under the age of fifty should be prepared to encounter pathological conditions such as capsulorrhaphy arthropathy, rheumatoid arthritis, and posttraumatic arthritis rather than primary osteoarthritis, which is more common in individuals older than fifty. The pathoanatomy in these younger patients may complicate the surgery, the rehabilitation, and the outcome of the shoulder arthroplasty.

Shoulder hemiarthroplasty with concentric glenoid reaming in patients 55 years old or less.

BACKGROUND Glenohumeral arthritis in younger individuals is challenging because of the complex pathology, need for extended durability, and high expectations of the patients. Humeral hemiarthroplasty combined with concentric glenoid reaming is a surgical option for the management of glenohumeral arthritis that avoids the risks of glenoid component failure and avoids the challenges of tissue interposition. The results of this procedure in young patients have not been previously reported. METHODS Sixty-five shoulders in patients who were 55 years old or less at the time of surgery underwent humeral hemiarthroplasty combined with concentric glenoid reaming and were followed for a minimum of 2 years or until the time of revision surgery. Patient self-assessments of shoulder comfort and function were compared before and after surgery. For 22 of these shoulders, standardized radiographs were available for follow-up evaluation. RESULTS Nine shoulders required revision surgery. These shoulders had 3 ± 3 prior surgeries, in comparison to 1 ± 1 prior surgeries for the unrevised group. For the 56 unrevised shoulders, the number of Simple Shoulder Test functions that could be performed improved from a mean of 4.1 before surgery to a mean of 9.5 at an average follow-up of 43 months (range, 24-85) (P < .001). For the 22 shoulders with radiographic follow-up, medial glenoid erosion averaged 1.1 mm (range, 0.0-6.3 mm) at an average of 44 months after the procedure. CONCLUSION In selected patients 55 years or younger with glenohumeral arthritis, this procedure can provide significant improvement in self-assessed shoulder comfort and function.

Complications in shoulder arthroscopy.

Shoulder arthroscopy is generally a safe and effective method for treating a wide variety of shoulder pathology. Fortunately, complications following shoulder arthroscopy are rare, with reported rates between 4.6% and 10.6%.¹⁻⁷ These rates may be underestimated, as underreporting of complications and varying definitions of the term complication are likely. During shoulder arthroscopy, complications may occur at numerous points. The surgeon must be aware of potential problems and take necessary measures to prevent them. This article describes common complications after arthroscopic shoulder surgery. Although failure of treatment and postoperative stiffness are undesirable outcomes, they are not described.