Search Our Scientific Publications & Authors

Bone Joint Res 2021 May;10(5):298-306

Shoulder Unit, Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Sackler Faculty of Medicine, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.

Aims: Rotator cuff (RC) tears are common musculoskeletal injuries which often require surgical intervention. Noninvasive pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) devices have been approved for treatment of long-bone fracture nonunions and as an adjunct to lumbar and cervical spine fusion surgery. This study aimed to assess the effect of continuous PEMF on postoperative RC healing in a rat RC repair model. Read More

Clin Biomech (Bristol, Avon) 2021 Mar 19;85:105328. Epub 2021 Mar 19.

Department of Biomedical Engineering and Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, USA. Electronic address:

Background: A better understanding of the morphological and functional differences in the anatomical sub-regions of the rotator cuff muscles is critical so that appropriate surgical and rehabilitation methodologies can be implemented in patients with shoulder-related injuries. The purpose of the current study was to develop a comprehensive imaging protocol using shear-wave elastography for the infraspinatus and teres minor muscles, and investigate differences in elastic properties of three distinct infraspinatus muscle sub-regions and of the teres minor muscle.

Methods: First, we developed a protocol for probe positioning for both muscles using three cadaveric shoulders. Read More

J Orthop 2021 May-Jun;25:23-30. Epub 2021 Apr 2.

Department of Orthopaedics, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.

Background: Occupational injuries and hazards related to orthopaedic surgery are not well studied, and what is published on this topic is largely based on in vitro or in vivo animal studies.

Objectives: To evaluate the self-reported prevalence of musculoskeletal (MSK) overuse disorders and other conditions among orthopaedic surgeons, especially those performing total hip (THA) or total knee arthroplasty (TKA), and report the factors placing these surgeons at higher risk for occupational health hazards.

Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 66 currently practicing orthopaedic surgeons in the Midwestern United States. Read More

JBJS Rev 2021 04 22;9(4). Epub 2021 Apr 22.

The Rothman Orthopaedic Institute at Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

»: Ultrasonography (US) is valued for its availability, tolerability, low cost, and utility in real-time dynamic evaluation. Its use in diagnosing upper-extremity shoulder injury has expanded, but several features require definition before more widespread adoption can be realized.

»: In particular, the evaluation of rotator cuff tears (RCTs) with US has been extensively studied, and authors generally agree that US is comparable with magnetic resonance imaging for the detection of full-thickness RCTs, whereas partial-thickness RCTs are more difficult to accurately identify with US. Read More

Rev Med Suisse 2021 Apr;17(735):794-797

Centre orthopédique d'Ouchy, Medicol Hirslanden, Avenue d'Ouchy, 41, 1006 Lausanne.

Partial rotator cuff lesions are a common feature. The radiological assessment of choice is MRI with arthrography accompanied by ABER (abduction, external rotation) images. At present, there is no consensus on the management of these lesions and surgery remains a second-line treatment for patients who do not respond to conservative treatment. Read More

Orthop J Sports Med 2021 Apr 2;9(4):2325967121992154. Epub 2021 Apr 2.

Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Seoul, Republic of Korea.

Background: The treatment for retears after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) has long been a challenge.

Purpose: This study aimed to (1) summarize the characteristics of patients with a retear after primary ARCR and (2) determine the risk factors for poor clinical outcomes after a retear.

Study Design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3. Read More

J Clin Orthop Trauma 2021 Jun 17;17:149-156. Epub 2021 Mar 17.

SCRUBS Research Unit, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary, Canada.

Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair is being performed by an ever-increasing number of surgeons. With an ageing population and growing patient expectations it is crucial that clinical outcomes are optimised. Anatomical reduction of the tendon back to its footprint with minimal tension contributes to this, but this can only be achieved if key biomechanical factors are taken into consideration. Read More

J Surg Orthop Adv 2021 ;30(1):24-29

University of Chicago, Orthopaedic Surgery Department, Chicago, Illinois.

Our study examines the effect of comorbidities on rotator cuff repair (RCR) postoperative costs and complication rates. A retrospective review of patients receiving RCRs from 2008-2016 using the PearlDiver database was performed. We evaluated the effect of major comorbidities on postoperative costs and complications within one year of surgery. Read More

Workplace Health Saf 2021 Apr 13:2165079921990364. Epub 2021 Apr 13.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham.

Background: Commercial truck drivers (CTDs) are significantly affected by shoulder injuries; however, little is known about the unique mechanisms of injury (MOIs), specific injuries, or possible preventive measures among this group of workers. This study characterized the MOIs, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs), and factors associated with MSDs of the shoulder among a group of CTDs.

Methods: A retrospective medical record review was conducted of CTDs between 21 and 65 years of age who were seen for MSDs of the shoulder between 2007 and 2015. Read More

Biomaterials 2021 May 30;272:120789. Epub 2021 Mar 30.

Institute for Tissue Engineering and Regenerative Medicine, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR; School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Regenerative Medicine, School of Biomedical Sciences, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR; Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR. Electronic address:

Our body systems are comprised of numerous multi-tissue units. For the musculoskeletal system, one of the predominant functional units is comprised of bone, tendon/ligament, and muscle tissues working in tandem to facilitate locomotion. To successfully treat musculoskeletal injuries and diseases, critical consideration and thoughtful integration of clinical, biological, and engineering aspects are necessary to achieve translational bench-to-bedside research. Read More

Front Sports Act Living 2021 26;3:603020. Epub 2021 Mar 26.

Division of Health Care Delivery Research, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, United States.

Manual wheelchair (MWC) users with spinal cord injuries (SCI) are at a significantly higher risk of experiencing rotator cuff pathology than able-bodied individuals. A deeper understanding of where the arm is used dynamically within the humeral workspace during daily life may help explain why MWC users have higher shoulder pathology rates than able-bodied individuals. The purpose of this study was to report the daily percentage and consecutive durations MWC users and matched able-bodied individuals (controls) spent static and dynamic across the humeral elevation workspace. Read More

J Am Acad Orthop Surg Glob Res Rev 2021 04 9;5(4). Epub 2021 Apr 9.

From the Department of Orthopedics, New York Presbyterian, Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY (Dr. Swindell, Dr. Trofa, Dr. Alexander, and Dr. Ahmad); the OrthoCarolina Sports Medicine Center, Charlotte, NC (Dr. Sonnenfeld and Dr. Saltzman); and the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Atrium Health Musculoskeletal Institute, Charlotte, NC (Dr. Saltzman).

Ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) injuries are a common source of pain and disability in the overhead athlete and often result in notable loss of time from competition. Over the past 10 to 15 years, the prevalence of UCL injury and reconstruction has undergone a dramatic increase, making it imperative to determine which patients may benefit from a nonsurgical regimen. Nonsurgical treatment involves a multidisciplinary approach of rehabilitation with tailored physical therapy programs and, in certain cases, biologic adjuncts. Read More

J Spinal Cord Med 2021 Apr 8:1-10. Epub 2021 Apr 8.

Kessler Foundation, West Orange, New Jersey, USA.

Context/objectives: Wheelchair users with chronic shoulder pain have few options after conservative treatments fail. This pilot study's purpose was to establish safety and treatment effects of micro-fragmented adipose tissue (MFAT) injections under ultrasound guidance for treatment of refractory shoulder pain caused by rotator cuff disease in wheelchair users with spinal cord injury (SCI) to prepare for a larger trial.

Design: Pilot clinical trial. Read More

Arthroscopy 2021 04;37(4):1126-1127

The Johns Hopkins School of Medicine.

The topic of superior capsular reconstruction remains controversial. Whereas identifying the best time-zero graft configuration for this procedure remains important, the success or failure of the procedure will be dependent on the biology, not just the bench performance. Any conforming object placed in the subacromial space at time zero could center the humeral head and decrease superior translation compared with a massive rotator cuff tear but may not restore translation to normal. Read More

Arthroscopy 2021 04;37(4):1115-1116

The creation of pain as the fifth vital sign in 2001 led to an unforeseen and dramatic increase in postoperative narcotic use. It became clear that chronic opioid use was associated with overdoses and deaths, and state medical licensing boards began to require completion of narcotic Continuing Medical Education courses to maintain licensure. Despite the overwhelming evidence of adverse effects of narcotic usage in both the pre- and postoperative periods, this continues to be a persistent problem in all areas of orthopaedic surgery. Read More

Arthroscopy 2021 04;37(4):1084-1085

Surgeons must rely on cost and charge data to inform a patient outcome-optimized value-based approach to arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs. Using biologic and regenerative procedures to augment repairs only when necessary and optimizing anchor number are 2 obvious ways surgeons can help control cost of these procedures. Addition of biologics, such as patches and tissue augmentation, nearly doubled the charges for the procedure. Read More

J Biomater Appl 2021 Mar 28:885328221995926. Epub 2021 Mar 28.

159397Huashan Hospital Fudan University, Shanghai, China.

Rupture of the rotator cuff is a common injury of the shoulder joint in sports professionals. In addition, research on repair of the rotator cuff has gained popularity over the recent years. Given the high rate of re-tear after surgery, it is necessary to design and prepare biodegradable materials with good mechanical properties, for the management of the condition. Read More

BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2021 Mar 20;22(1):292. Epub 2021 Mar 20.

Department of Rehabilitation, The Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University, 25 Tai Ping Road, Luzhou, Sichuan, 646000, People's Republic of China.

Background: The study aims to identify whether Platelet-rich plasma (PRP) combined with early physiotherapy has an advantage over PRP alone for rotator cuff injury patients, regarding pain release, function score, tear size, and quality of life improvement.

Methods: This is a single-center prospective non-randomized study implemented in July 2019 at the Affiliated Hospital of Southwest Medical University in Sichuan. Three hundred-forteen patients with rotator cuff injury aged over 18 years were recruited. Read More

Medicine (Baltimore) 2021 Mar;100(10):e24965

Department of Orthopedics, The People's Hospital of Beilun district of Ningbo, Zhejiang, China.

Background: There have been no published randomized clinical trial to assess the clinical outcomes between the articular-sided and bursal-sided tears. Therefore, a comparative analysis of evaluating and comparing the functional outcomes following arthroscopic repair of bursal-sided versus articular-sided partial-thickness rotator cuff tearsis essential.

Methods: This study is a present randomized controlled trial which is conducted in our hospital. Read More

Am J Sports Med 2021 03;49(4):899-908

Department of Sports Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, Shanghai, China.

Background: Adipose stem cell-derived exosomes (ASC-Exos) are reported to effectively prevent muscle atrophy and degeneration of torn rat rotator cuff, but their influence on human samples and their potential mechanism are still unclear.

Purpose: We aimed to investigate the effects of ASC-Exos on the metabolic activities of torn human rotator cuff tendons and explore the potential mechanism behind it.

Study Design: Controlled laboratory study. Read More

J Clin Orthop Trauma 2021 Jun 11;17:65-71. Epub 2021 Feb 11.

Department of Orthopaedics, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Sarita Vihar, Mathura Road, 110076, New Delhi, India.

Surgeries for Rotator Cuff (RC) pathologies are required for either trauma or degenerative related aetiologies. Various surgical techniques from open to arthroscopic repair, are being undertaken by orthopaedic surgeons. Peri-operative anaesthetic management of the patients undergoing rotator cuff repair requires understanding the surgical procedure and patient status for optimal anaesthetic planning. Read More

J Anesth 2021 Mar 8. Epub 2021 Mar 8.

Department of Anesthesiology, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 100020, China.

Shoulder arthroscopy, a common intervention for severe rotator cuff injuries, is associated with severe postoperative pain. Upon performing cervical erector spinae plane (ESP) blocks at the C7 TP (tip or posterior tip) or the posterior tip of the C6 TP posterior tubercle in six patients undergoing shoulder arthroscopy, sensory block was detectable in congruent cervico-thoracic dermatomes. Effective intraoperative and postoperative analgesia were consistently obtained for all six patients. Read More

Arch Immunol Ther Exp (Warsz) 2021 Mar 8;69(1). Epub 2021 Mar 8.

Department of Immunology, Transplantology and Internal Diseases, Medical University of Warsaw, Warsaw, Poland.

The pathophysiology of rotator cuff tendinopathy is not fully understood, particularly in terms of the local inflammatory process. This study aimed to investigate the expression of selected molecules in the tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α transduction pathway, including TNF-α, TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1), neutral sphingomyelinase activation associated factor (NSMAF), caspase 3 (Casp3), and interleukin (IL)-8, in patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy that had undergone surgical treatment. We included 44 participants that underwent arthroscopy, due to rotator cuff tendinopathy. Read More

Arthrosc Tech 2021 Feb 24;10(2):e457-e467. Epub 2021 Feb 24.

Knee Surgery-Arthroscopy and Sports Injuries Unit, Orthopedic Department, Mansoura University, Mansoura, Egypt.

Despite the different treatment options for irreparable and massive rotator cuff tears (RCTs), there is no optimal treatment. Thirty percent of total RCTs can be classified as irreparable because of the massive tear size and severe muscle atrophy. The reported treatment failure rate is approximately 40% for massive RCTs. Read More

J Shoulder Elbow Surg 2021 Mar 3. Epub 2021 Mar 3.

Orthopedics and Traumatology Department of Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, UNIFESP.

Background: The shoulder physical examination is frequently performed to diagnose rotator cuff tears in clinical practice; however, there is insufficient evidence upon which physical tests are efficient for shoulder impingements in primary care. The purposes of this study were: 1. to analyze the accuracy of eight clinical tests to diagnose supraspinatus tendon lesions and to investigate whether the combination of these tests can improve the diagnostic values; 2. Read More

Am J Sports Med 2021 04 5;49(5):1323-1332. Epub 2021 Mar 5.

Laboratory of Stem Cell and Tissue Engineering, Orthopedic Research Institute, State Key Laboratory of Biotherapy, West China Hospital, Sichuan University and Collaborative Innovation Center of Biotherapy, Chengdu, China.

Background: Poor healing of the tendon-bone interface after rotator cuff repair is one of the main causes of surgical failure. Previous studies demonstrated that demineralized cortical bone (DCB) could improve healing of the enthesis.

Purpose: To evaluate the outcomes of hierarchically demineralized cortical bone (hDCB) coated with stem cell-derived extracellular matrix (hDCB-ECM) in the repair of the rotator cuff in a rabbit model. Read More

Pediatr Radiol 2021 Mar 5. Epub 2021 Mar 5.

Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA, USA.

Background: Avulsion fractures of the humeral lesser tuberosity are rare injuries in skeletally immature patients and can pose a diagnostic challenge that often leads to delayed identification.

Objective: To describe the demographics, mechanism of injury and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings of lesser tuberosity avulsion fractures in children.

Materials And Methods: A retrospective search of children with lesser tuberosity avulsion fractures on MRI was done. Read More

Zhongguo Gu Shang 2021 Feb;34(2):175-9

Department of Radiology, the First People's Hospital of Taizhou, Taizhou 318020, Zhejiang, China.

Objective: To compare clinical application of 1.5 T MRI in acute rotator interval injury.

Methods: Totally 160 patients with acute rotator cuff tear by clinical diagnosis were retrospectively analyzed by MRI examination and arthroscopy from March 2016 to February 2019, including 122 males and 38 females, aged from 22 to 71 years old with an average of (42. Read More

Zhongguo Gu Shang 2021 Feb;34(2):160-4

Department of Orthopaedics, Lanzhou University Second Hospital, Lanzhou 730030, Gansu, China.

Shoulder arthroscopic as a conventional method usually is applied to repair rotator cuff tears. In clinical, plenty single-row, double-row and transosseous tunnels suture technique are performed, but the ideal suture technique for rotator cuff repair is not found. Compared with single-row, double-row has better strength in biomechanics property. Read More

Data Brief 2021 Apr 12;35:106867. Epub 2021 Feb 12.

Spanish Society of Pneumology and Thoracic Surgery (SEPAR) Youth Commitee, 08029 Barcelona, Spain.

The rotator cuff inflammatory or degenerative pathology is the main cause of shoulder pain. The shoulder and diaphragm muscle have a clear relation through innervation and the connection through myofascial tissue. A prospective, randomized, controlled, single-blind (assessor) pilot clinical trial was performed with a sample size of 27 subjects with rotator cuff injuries and with clinical diagnosis of myofascial pain syndrome at shoulder. Read More