BACKGROUND

Anterosuperior rotator cuff tears with a displaced long head of the biceps tendon are most often trauma-related, and patients with these conditions often present with severe pain and shoulder dysfunction. Repair of the subscapularis and supraspinatus and a biceps tenodesis or a tenotomy are the recommended treatments based on retrospective studies. The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate clinical and structural treatment outcome in a cohort of trauma-related anterosuperior injuries in patients with previously healthy shoulders.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Patients seeking care for a suspected rotator cuff injury after shoulder trauma were screened according to a protocol including clinical examination, baseline scoring with Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index (WORC) and numeric rating scale of pain, ultrasound, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Those with anterosuperior injuries were offered surgical treatment, structured postoperative physiotherapy, and inclusion in the present study with 1-year follow-up, including MRI, baseline scores, Constant-Murley score, and Patient Global Impression of Change. Thirty-three patients (78% men) with a mean age of 59 (40-76) years were included.

RESULTS

All patients had a biceps pulley lesion, a displaced biceps tendon, and incomplete full-thickness subscapularis and supraspinatus tears. Six patients declined surgery. At follow-up, the operated patients reached a median WORC score of 86% and a median change from baseline to follow-up of 50% (P = .0001). Pain decreased (P = .0001) at rest, at night, and during activity. The median Constant-Murley score was 86% of the contralateral nonoperated shoulder, 58% of the contralateral abduction strength recovered after surgery, and 86% reported that they were recovered or much improved. All repairs and tenodeses healed except for 2 supraspinatus tendons. The 6 nonoperated patients reached a median WORC score of 90, a change in the median value from baseline to follow-up of 31, but reported more pain, and a smaller proportion considered themselves as recovered or much improved. In all patients, the 1-year MRIs had signal changes in the upper muscular portion of subscapularis, consistent with fatty infiltration, regardless of operative or nonoperative treatment.

CONCLUSION

Anterosuperior rotator cuff injury with an associated pulley lesion and displaced long head of the biceps tendon may be treated successfully with surgery as the majority of patients in our cohort clinically recovered or were much improved without pain after a year. With a 1-year perspective, nonoperatively treated patients may also reach a reasonable clinical outcome. Independently of treatment or tendon healing, residual subscapularis muscle injury was seen, which may have long-term implications.