Publications

2024

Cong, Ting, Shaquille Charles, Rajiv P Reddy, Gabrielle Fatora, Michael A Fox, Aaron E Barrow, Bryson P Lesniak, et al. (2024) 2024. “Defining Critical Humeral Bone Loss: Inferior Craniocaudal Hill-Sachs Extension As Predictor of Recurrent Instability After Primary Arthroscopic Bankart Repair.”. The American Journal of Sports Medicine 52 (1): 181-89. https://doi.org/10.1177/03635465231209443.

BACKGROUND: The glenoid track concept for shoulder instability primarily describes the medial-lateral relationship between a Hill-Sachs lesion and the glenoid. However, the Hill-Sachs position in the craniocaudal dimension has not been thoroughly studied.

HYPOTHESIS: Hill-Sachs lesions with greater inferior extension are associated with increased risk of recurrent instability after primary arthroscopic Bankart repair.

STUDY DESIGN: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

METHODS: The authors performed a retrospective analysis of patients with on-track Hill-Sachs lesions who underwent primary arthroscopic Bankart repair (without remplissage) between 2007 and 2019 and had a minimum 2-year follow-up. Recurrent instability was defined as recurrent dislocation or subluxation after the index procedure. The craniocaudal position of the Hill-Sachs lesion was measured against the midhumeral axis on sagittal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) using either a Hill-Sachs bisecting line through the humeral head center (sagittal midpoint angle [SMA], a measure of Hill-Sachs craniocaudal position) or a line tangent to the inferior Hill-Sachs edge (lower-edge angle [LEA], a measure of Hill-Sachs caudal extension). Univariate and multivariate regression were used to determine the predictive value of both SMA and LEA for recurrent instability.

RESULTS: In total, 176 patients were included with a mean age of 20.6 years, mean follow-up of 5.9 years, and contact sport participation of 69.3%. Of these patients, 42 (23.9%) experienced recurrent instability (30 dislocations, 12 subluxations) at a mean time of 1.7 years after surgery. Recurrent instability was found to be significantly associated with LEA >90° (ie, Hill-Sachs lesions extending below the humeral head equator), with an OR of 3.29 (P = .022). SMA predicted recurrent instability to a lesser degree (OR, 2.22; P = .052). Post hoc evaluation demonstrated that LEA >90° predicted recurrent dislocations (subset of recurrent instability) with an OR of 4.80 (P = .003). LEA and SMA were found to be collinear with Hill-Sachs interval and distance to dislocation, suggesting that greater LEA and SMA proportionally reflect lesion severity in both the craniocaudal and medial-lateral dimensions.

CONCLUSION: Inferior extension of an otherwise on-track Hill-Sachs lesion is a highly predictive risk factor for recurrent instability after primary arthroscopic Bankart repair. Evaluation of Hill-Sachs extension below the humeral equator (inferior equatorial extension) on sagittal MRI is a clinically facile screening tool for higher-risk lesions with subcritical glenoid bone loss. This threshold for critical humeral bone loss may inform surgical stratification for procedures such as remplissage or other approaches for at-risk on-track lesions.

Charles, Shaquille J-C, Clarissa LeVasseur, Ajinkya Rai, Gillian Kane, Maria Munsch, Jonathan Hughes, William Anderst, and Albert Lin. (2024) 2024. “Anatomic Restoration of Lateral Humeral Offset and Humeral Retroversion Optimizes Functional Outcomes Following Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty.”. Journal of Biomechanics 176: 112372. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2024.112372.

Cadaveric and computer simulations suggest lateral humeral offset (LHO) and humeral retroversion (HR) are associated with strength and range of motion (ROM) after reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (rTSA), butin vivodata is lacking. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of implant parameters (i.e. LHO and HR) on strength and ROM. LHO and HR were measured using pre-operative and post-operative computed tomography (CT) scans. Postoperative strength was measured across three planes of motion using a Biodex isokinetic dynamometer. Postoperative active and passive ROM during forward elevation, external rotation (ER), and internal rotation (IR) were assessed using a goniometer or spinal level. 30 rTSA patients (14 M, 16F, age: 71.8 ± 6.7yrs) participated with an average postoperative follow-up of 2.4 ± 1.1 years. Regarding strength, higher post-op LHO values were predictive of greater postoperative strength across all movements. However, lateralization of the implant beyond pre-op values (i.e. post-op LHO > pre-op LHO) was associated with poorer strength performance across all ranges of motion. Similar to strength outcomes, greater deviations from pre-op LHO was predictive of poorer IR ROM. Lastly, patients with minimal deviations in HR (post-op HR within 10° of pre-op HR) and minimal deviations in LHO (post-op LHO ≤ pre-op LHO) displayed the greatest postoperative ER ROM. Anatomic restoration of LHO combined with anatomic restoration of HR may be ideal for maximizing strength and ROM following rTSA. Overlateralization beyond anatomic may have negative consequences. Optimal implant lateralization and version may need to be individualized based on preoperative values.

2023

Como, C, M Flanagan, T Cong, M Como, J Hughes, S Rabuck, B Lesinak, and A Lin. 2023. “Electronic Health Record Usage in an Academic Orthopaedic Sports Medicine Practice.”. JOEI 2023.

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LeVasseur, Clarissa M, Gillian Kane, Jonathan D Hughes, Albert Lin, and William Anderst. (2023) 2023. “In Vivo Graft Elongation After Arthroscopic Dermal Superior Capsular Reconstruction.”. The American Journal of Sports Medicine 51 (10): 2671-78. https://doi.org/10.1177/03635465231181554.

BACKGROUND: Superior capsular reconstruction (SCR) is a procedure purported to restore stability of the glenohumeral joint after an irreparable rotator cuff tear, but the in vivo behavior of the graft is unknown. Previous work has not evaluated the relationship between graft deformation, kinematics, and healing.

PURPOSE: To (1) determine regional graft elongation after SCR, (2) determine if graft elongation is related to graft healing, and (3) identify associations between graft elongation and changes in kinematics from presurgery to postsurgery.

STUDY DESIGN: Case series; Level of evidence, 4.

METHODS: Ten patients who underwent SCR performed abduction and shoulder rotation with the arm at 90° of humerothoracic abduction before and 1 year after surgery while biplane radiographs were collected at 50 images per second. Kinematics was determined with submillimeter accuracy by matching patient-specific digitally reconstructed radiographs of the humerus and scapula to the biplane radiographs using a validated volumetric tracking technique. Graft elongation was calculated using motion of the graft anchors that were identified on postoperative magnetic resonance imaging. Differences in elongation between anterior and posterior regions of the graft, as well as associations between graft elongation, graft healing, and kinematics, were analyzed.

RESULTS: Peak graft elongation ranged from a 3% decrease in the anterior region during rotation to up to a 171% increase in the anterior region during abduction and the posterior region during rotation. Grafts that were healed at both anterior anchors reached the intraoperative length at lower abduction angles (60°) than grafts that were not healed at 1 or both of the anterior anchors (87°) (P = .005). The posterior anchor graft origin to insertion distances were 2.1 mm farther apart after surgery compared with before surgery during both abduction and rotation.

CONCLUSION: SCR dermal allografts are stretched well beyond their intraoperative length in vivo. Graft healing appears to be associated with less graft elongation. The posterior portion of the SCR graft does not appear to improve glenohumeral joint stability 1 year after surgery. Improved clinical outcomes after dermal allograft SCR may be because of the spacer effect of the graft rather than improved glenohumeral joint stability 1 year after surgery.

Cognetti, Daniel J, Jonathan D Hughes, Gregory R Sprowls, Christine M McDonough, Soheil Sabzevari, Aaron E Barrow, and Albert Lin. (2023) 2023. “Proximal Humerus Fracture Management and Outcomes Are Distinctly Different for Individuals 60 Years of Age or Younger: A Systematic Review.”. JSES Reviews, Reports, and Techniques 3 (2): 142-49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xrrt.2023.01.002.

BACKGROUND: Proximal humerus fractures (PHFs) occur most commonly in an elderly and osteoporotic population, but a considerable proportion of these injuries occur in relatively younger individuals. Differences in treatment principles and outcomes in this younger population remain poorly understood. The purpose of this review was to characterize the treatment algorithms and outcomes for patients less than or equal to 60 years of age with PHFs.

METHODS: A comprehensive search of the Medline, Pubmed, Embase, and Cochrane databases for articles published between January 2005 and December 2020 was performed in January 2021. Levels of evidence I-IV analyzing outcomes (patient reported outcomes and/or complications) following PHFs in adult patients less than or equal to 60 years of age were included. The search was carried out in accordance with the preferred reported items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses guidelines. The risk of bias 2 tool and methodological index for nonrandomized studies score were utilized to evaluate included studies.

RESULTS: Fourteen studies met the inclusion criteria (open reduction internal fixation: 5, intramedullary nail: 4, hemiarthroplasty: 2, nonoperative: 1, and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA): 1). Seven studies reported differences in outcomes between younger and older patient populations, with three studies noting separate management algorithms for those 60 years of age or younger. There were no studies comparing different treatments modalities in those less than 60 years of age, and the lone study on RTSA did not include patient-reported outcomes.

CONCLUSION: Treatment algorithms and outcomes following PHFs in patients less than or equal to 60 years of age are distinctly different from that of a more elderly population. However, evidence-based treatment recommendations for this younger population are limited by the lack of studies comparing treatment modalities and the absence of patient-reported outcomes for individuals undergoing RTSA.

Eibel, Adam, Rajiv P Reddy, Jonathan D Hughes, Clair Smith, Adam Popchak, Robin West, Volker Musahl, Bryson Lesniak, and Albert Lin. (2023) 2023. “Traumatic Rotator Cuff Tears With Concomitant Shoulder Dislocation: Tear Characteristics and Postsurgical Outcomes.”. Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery 32 (4): 842-49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jse.2022.09.022.

BACKGROUND: Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair has been shown to have favorable outcomes following traumatic rotator cuff tear with concomitant shoulder dislocation. The aim of this study was to compare outcomes and tear characteristics between patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair following traumatic tear with shoulder dislocation to those without dislocation.

METHODS: A retrospective review of 226 consecutive patients with traumatic rotator cuff tears who underwent arthroscopic repair between 2013 and 2017 with a minimum of 1-year follow-up was performed. Patients with traumatic dislocations and concomitant rotator cuff tears were placed in the Dislocation & Tear cohort (DT cohort) and were matched 1:2 with a second cohort sustaining traumatic cuff tears without dislocation (T cohort). Primary outcomes were injury characteristics including tendon involvement and atrophy and tear size and thickness. Secondary outcomes were postoperative strength and range of motion (ROM) in forward flexion (FF), external rotation (ER), and internal rotation (IR); patient-reported outcomes including Subjective Shoulder Value, visual analog scale, and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form; complications including repair failure (defined as symptomatic retear confirmed on postoperative magnetic resonance imaging), infection, adhesive capsulitis, and impingement; and rates of revision surgery.

RESULTS: There were 18 patients in the DT Cohort and 36 patients in the T Cohort with no significant differences in time to final follow-up (50.4 ± 24.5 months vs. 49.0 ± 30.4 months, P = .73). The DT cohort displayed a larger mean tear size (34 ± 12 mm vs. 19 ± 12 mm, P = .01) and had greater infraspinatus involvement (78% vs. 36%, P = .004) and subscapularis involvement (72% vs. 39%, P = .02) than the T cohort. With regard to strength, postoperative ER strength was less likely to be 5/5 in the DT Cohort (53% vs. 94% of patients with 5/5 strength, P = .002) compared with the T cohort. With regard to ROM, the DT cohort had significantly lower preoperative FF (90° ± 55° vs. 149° ± 33°, P < .001), ER (36 ± 21° vs. 52° ± 14°, P = .02), and IR (5.4 ± 2.1 vs. 7.5 ± 1.2, P = .002) compared with the T cohort but had similar FF, ER, and IR outcomes postoperatively. There were no differences between the groups for complications and postoperative patient-reported outcomes.

CONCLUSION: Traumatic rotator cuff tears with concomitant dislocations are associated with larger tear size and greater infraspinatus and subscapularis involvement than traumatic tears without dislocation. Arthroscopic repair of this injury is associated with lower preoperative ROM in FF, ER, and IR, as well as lower postoperative ER strength compared with traumatic tears without dislocation. Nonetheless, excellent patient-reported outcomes can be achieved following arthroscopic repair similar to patients without dislocation.

Hughes, Jonathan D, Brian Davis, Emily Whicker, Gregory R Sprowls, Lindsay Barrera, Ashkan Baradaran, Soheil Sabzevari, Jeremy M Burnham, Anup A Shah, and Albert Lin. (2023) 2023. “Nonarthroplasty Options for Massive, Irreparable Rotator Cuff Tears Have Improvement in Range of Motion and Patient-Reported Outcomes at Short-Term Follow-Up: A Systematic Review.”. Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy : Official Journal of the ESSKA 31 (5): 1883-1902. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00167-022-07099-9.

PURPOSE: To compare various nonarthroplasty treatment options for massive, irreparable rotator cuff tears, including allograft bridging/augmentation, debridement, partial repair, superior capsule reconstruction (SCR), subacromial balloon spacer, and tendon transfer.

METHODS: A comprehensive search was conducted through the PubMed, MEDLINE, and EMBASE databases for all articles pertaining to nonarthroplasty treatment options for irreparable rotator cuff tears. Inclusion criteria included manuscripts published between 2009 and 2020 with at least 1 year follow-up and Level I-IV evidence. Articles were separated into six groups: debridement, arthroscopic and open repair, allograft bridging/augmentation, SCR, subacromial balloon spacer, and tendon transfer. Data points included range of motion (external rotation, abduction, forward flexion, and internal rotation), visual analog scale (VAS) pain score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, Constant score, rate of revision surgery, and rate of conversion to arthroplasty.

RESULTS: A total of 83 studies and 3363 patients were included. All treatment options had statistically significant improvements in postoperative range of motion and patient-reported outcomes. Debridement had statistically significantly greater postoperative abduction and forward flexion range of motion, as well as better VAS pain scores, compared to the other treatment options. The SCR subgroup had the greatest improvement in ASES scores postoperatively. The overall revision rate was 7.2% among all surgical options, with the allograft bridging/augmentation group having the lowest rate of revision at 0-8.3%. The overall rate of conversion to arthroplasty was 7.2%, with debridement having the greatest rate of conversion at 15.4%.

CONCLUSION: All six nonarthroplasty treatment options for irreparable rotator cuff tears resulted in statistically significant improvements in range of motion and patient-reported outcomes at 1 year follow-up or more, with low rates of revision and conversion to arthroplasty. Debridement had statistically significantly greater postoperative abduction and forward flexion range of motion, as well as better VAS pain scores, compared to the other treatment options. However, these conclusions should be interpreted with caution due to the heterogeneous nature of the data, lack of prospective randomized control trials, and short-term follow-up. The findings of this study highlight the complexity of irreparable, massive rotator cuff tears, and the need for an individualized approach when treating these patients.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level IV.

Carlos, Noel Bien T, Nicholas P Drain, Gabrielle C Fatora, Ehab M Nazzal, Zachary J Herman, Jonathan D Hughes, Mark W Rodosky, Albert Lin, and Bryson P Lesniak. (2023) 2023. “Myotendinous Junction Tears of the Pectoralis Major Are Occurring More Frequently and Discrepancies Exist Between Intraoperative and Radiographic Assessments.”. JSES International 7 (6): 2311-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jseint.2023.06.019.

BACKGROUND: Pectoralis major (PM) tears have been shown to occur most frequently at the tendinous humeral insertion. However, no substantial updates on tear location have been published in 20 years or are based on relatively small sample sizes. The primary purpose of this study was to evaluate PM tear location based on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). A secondary purpose was to evaluate agreement between MRI and intraoperative assessments of tear characteristics. We hypothesized that PM tears at the myotendinous junction (MTJ) occur at a higher rate than previously reported and that intraoperative and MRI assessments would demonstrate agreement in at least 80% of cases.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: An observational study of consecutive patients evaluated for a PM tear at a single institution between 2010 and 2022 was conducted. Patient demographics as well as MRI and intraoperative assessments of tear location, extent of tear, and muscle head involvement were collected from the electronic medical record. Agreement was calculated by comparing radiographic and intraoperative assessments per variable and reported as percentages. Data and statistical analysis were performed with SPSS software with a significance level set to P < .05.

RESULTS: A total of 102 patients were included for analysis. Mean age was 35.8 ± 10.5 years and mean body mass index was 29.4 ± 4.8 kg/m2. 60.4% of the study population had tears of the MTJ, 34.9% of the tendinous humeral insertion, and 4.7% within the muscle belly, as determined intraoperatively. Complete tears had significantly higher agreement between MRI and intraoperative assessments relative to partial tears (83.9% and 62.5%, respectively; P ≤ .01).

DISCUSSION: The majority of PM tears occurred at the MTJ. Preoperative MRI and intraoperative assessments agreed in 80% of cases, a value that was significantly higher for complete over partial tears. These findings demonstrate that tears of the MTJ are increasingly more common and support the use of MRI in preoperative planning for complete PM tears.