Shoulder/Elbow News

An interactive, preference-based decision tool had a greater impact on decision-making for treatment of first-time anterior shoulder dislocations than standard-of-care information, according to a presenter at a meeting.

Results published in The American Journal of Sports Medicine showed a torn subscapularis, larger supraspinatus tear size, older age and preoperative stiffness yielded a greater risk for postoperative new-onset pseudoparalysis among patients who underwent arthroscopic repair for a large to massive rotator cuff tear.

Although pitch velocity increased in baseball players who performed a 6-week throwing program that used weighted balls, research published in Sports Health noted a higher injury rate in these pitchers compared with controls.

NEW ORLEANS — When used in high school athletes, the nonoperative instability severity index score showed athletes with anterior shoulder instability and certain other factors were more likely to achieve successful outcomes with nonoperative treatment, according to results presented at the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons Annual Meeting.

Dynamic ultrasound is the best imaging modality to assess postoperative rotator cuff integrity and function for many clinical reasons. All patients can have an ultrasound study. Unlike with a CT scan, patients get no radiation exposure from ultrasound. There is no magnetic field necessary to create the image, so patients with implanted devices that may disqualify them from MRI scans can still undergo ultrasound examination. There are no known adverse events from having an ultrasound. Ultrasound imaging of the postoperative rotator cuff is unaffected by implants placed in the bone, regardless of whether the implants are made of metal, polyether-ether-ketone (plastic), all-suture or another material.

Since its first recorded description in the literature, musculoskeletal ultrasonography has been shown to be beneficial for diagnosis and treatment in orthopedics by providing focused, real-time assessment of soft-tissue vascularity through a non-contrast Doppler scan and in less time than MRI. Its portability, low cost, and use to guide injections and as an educational tool were highlighted by sources for this Cover Story as some advantages of ultrasonography.

Glenohumeral arthrodesis was shown to relieve pain, but patients were at high risk for complications and limited shoulder function, according to study published in The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.

All EFORT Open Reviews articles are free to read online with no subscription required. EFORT Open Reviews is the open access journal from EFORT and Bone & Joint Publishing.

PHILADELPHIA — Propionibacterium acnes from primary shoulder surgery was less commonly identified with next-generation sequencing compared with routine culture, according to results presented at the Musculoskeletal Infection Society Annual Open Scientific Meeting.

PHILADELPHIA — At the International Consensus Meeting on Musculoskeletal Infection, Javad Parvizi, MD, FRCS, spoke about the topics the delegates are debating, here. Among the debatable topics was the distinction between acute and chronic musculoskeletal infection.