Shoulder/Elbow News

As the population ages, the number of joint replacement surgeries has increased exponentially. In the past, patient perceptions regarding the ability to return to high levels of activity and sports after joint replacement were often pessimistic, with many patients avoiding the procedure despite increasing pain and dysfunction due to perceived limitations after surgery. With improvements in surgical technique, bearing surfaces and device fixation, and the development of outpatient joint replacement, patient expectations have shifted to anticipate a rapid return to daily activities after surgery, followed by resumption of recreational and even competitive sports.

Surgical intervention is an option for displaced Neer two-, three-, and four-part fractures in younger active patients and internal fixation with plates has gained increased popularity with the advent of the locking technology. Locked plate technologies have resulted in successful outcomes and biomechanically improved fixation compared to other fixation techniques due to the more ridged fixation in compromised bone. The locked plate functions more like a lever beam and for failure to occur, the entire construct must give way.

CHICAGO — Patients who received ultrasound-guided subacromial injection experienced superior pain relief with no differences in function or activity level compared patients who were treated with palpation-guided subacromial injection, according to results presented here.

Innovation in orthopaedics and traumatology is slowly, but surely influencing medical practice by replacing well-established procedures with new techniques whenever an adapted application is possible. The main theme of the EFORT 2018 Congress is Innovation and New Technologies, which focuses on the rapid and extensive evolution of surgery and treatment options within the worldwide orthopaedics and traumatology community. Indeed, nowadays, new methods considerably improve and speed up the diagnosis and treatment done in most areas of the orthopaedic field.

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

CHICAGO — At the Arthroscopy Association of North America Annual Meeting, Jason L. Dragoo, MD, discussed biologic augmentation options such as adding growth factors, stem cells and scaffolding for rotator cuff tear repair.

CHICAGO — Patients who underwent biceps tenodesis had a greater mean satisfaction score and experienced fewer negatively perceived postoperative symptoms compared with patients who underwent biceps tenotomy, according to results presented here.

CHICAGO — Older patients and patients without off-track lesions or ligamentous laxity may have a lower rate of recurrent instability following arthroscopic revision anterior stabilization compared to patients with these risk factors, according to results presented here.

CHICAGO — At the Arthroscopy Association of North America Annual Meeting, Scott W. Trenhaile, MD, spoke about the use of the InSpace biodegradable balloon (OrthoSpace) device for the treatment of massive rotator cuff tears in patients with significant disability. He noted the device was approved in Europe and a large FDA investigational device exemption study is being conducted for use in the United States.

CHICAGO — Results presented at the Arthroscopy Association of North America Annual Meeting identified several patient factors that increased the risk of revision posterior capsulolabral reconstruction.