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Shoulder function improved 2 years after balloon arthroplasty for massive cuff tears

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BELFAST, NORTHERN IRELAND — A balloon arthroplasty technique in which a balloon is placed in a space cleared for it in the shoulder joint of a patient with an irreparable rotator cuff tear may prove beneficial for patients who have severe pain and lack shoulder function, according to a presenter.

At the British Orthopaedic Association Annual Congress, Vellala Rashu Prasad, FRCS (T&O), of Medway Maritime Hospital, in Gillingham, United Kingdom, reported the 2-year results he and colleagues achieved with the InSpace (Ortho Space Ltd.) device in 32 patients who initially underwent the procedure at their center.

“There seems to be some benefit out of this procedure. The patients who are OK at 1 year are OK at 2 years,” Prasad said.

He explained the patients they treated have severe pain based on the VAS and lack function based on the Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS). Furthermore, to be treated, patients typically had two or more torn tendons that could not be repaired back to the footprint and could not have undergone any previous rotator cuff surgery, Prasad said.

Of the 24 patients who reached the 2-year follow-up, three patients were lost to follow-up and one patient died of unrelated causes.

“We did not have any complications in those 24 patients related to the surgery,” Prasad said.

According to Prasad, a bursectomy and debridement are performed before implanting the balloon, which is available in three sizes.

Patients’ SF-12 scores at the 1-year follow-up did not deteriorate by the second year, he noted.

An independent clinician who evaluated the patients preoperatively and postoperatively found a mean preoperative OSS of 24 points that improved to 34 points postoperatively.

“The limitations are it is a single-center study, small numbers. We did not have a comparative group and the follow-up is short,” Prasad said. – by Susan M. Rapp

Reference:

Gulihar A, et al. Paper #701. Presented at: British Orthopaedic Association Annual Congress; Sept. 13-16, 2016; Belfast, Northern Ireland.

Disclosure: Prasad reports no relevant financial disclosures.