[Surgical decompression of the fornix humeri, comparison of 2 procedures: resection of the ligament and Neer's method of anterior acromioplasty].

The impingement-syndrome is caused by a conflict between the humeral head, the rotator cuff and the coracoacromial arch. Degenerative changes in the rotator cuff appear to be the cause when conservative treatment fails, surgical decompression may be resorted to. The two methods commonly applied are the resection of the coracoacromial ligament and Neer's anterior acromioplasty. In this retrospective study 52 patients were followed up of whom 31 had ligament resection and 21 had acromioplasty. The average follow up time was 10 months. Excellent and good results were achieved by ligament resection in 16 patients (52%) and by acromioplasty in 12 patients (57%). Satisfactory results had 10 (32%) patients after ligament resection and 8 patients (38%) after acromioplasty. In 5 cases (16%) unsatisfactory results were achieved by ligament resection and in 1 case (5%) after acromioplasty. Statistically the results did not differ at the 5% level of error. Both methods retain the length of the acromion which is important as it is the attachment of the deltoid muscle and determines the functional lever arm of this muscle. The superior results of acromioplasty in cases with rotator tears suggest that this procedure could be beneficial as a routine decompression in these cases. Theoretically the acromioplasty creates more space for the reconstructed cuff.