Clinical and Image Outcomes of the Hill-Sachs Injury Approach by the Remplissage Technique on the Anterior Shoulder Instability.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the functional outcome of the remplissage technique, the healing of the capsulotenodesis of the infraspinatus tendon in Hill-Sachs lesion, and the degree of fatty infiltration of the infraspinatus muscle and its postoperative strength.

METHODS

Twenty-five patients with recurrent anterior dislocation of the shoulder and Hill-Sachs lesion with a Hardy index > 20% who underwent the remplissage arthroscopic technique were evaluated with a minimum follow-up of 1 year. Patients underwent a clinical evaluation (Carter-Rowe and Walch-Duplay functional scores, measurement of range of motion and strength) and a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exam on the operated shoulder.

RESULTS

Eighty-eight percent and 92% of the patients had good or excellent scores in the functional assessments of the Carter-Rowe and Walch-Duplay scores, respectively. A mean difference of - 1 kg in the strength of the operated limb was observed when compared with the contralateral limb (  < 0.001), as well as a mean difference of 10° in external rotation 1 and 2 (  < 0.001), also compared with the contralateral side. All of the patients who underwent an MRI exam presented high-grade filling of the Hill-Sachs lesion by capsulotenodesis, as well as absence of or minimal fatty infiltration in the infraspinatus muscle.

CONCLUSION

The remplissage technique had good/excellent functional score results, despite the discrete, albeit statistically significant, loss of strength and of external rotation amplitude. Successful capsulotenodesis healing and filling of the Hill-Sachs defect were demonstrated.