Summary
In patients with rotator cuff and labral lesions, arthroscopic treatment of both lesions yields good clinical outcomes, restoration of motion, and a high degree of patient satisfaction
Abstract
Introduction
Rotator cuff tears combined with bankart lesion rarely occur in younger population after traumatic dislocation or recurrent instability. Conservative treatment can be advocated in patients with lower level of activity and not involved in sport with direct use of the arm overhead. Surgical treatment, possibly artrhoscopic, is advocated in active athletes with few reports in the literature and controversies about the timing of treatment and combined or two stage treaments
Purpose
of this study is to report the results of a series of athletes presenting combined arthroscopic treatment of bankart and rotator cuff lesions
Type of study: cohort study, level of evidence 3
Methods
Exclusion criteria were shoulders with consistent gleno-humeral (GH) bone defects, poor quality of the capsular tissues, engaging lesions and GH arthritis. All patients have undergone a similar rehab program with delayed return to sports at a minimum of 6 months and have been evaluated at follow-up according to L'Insalata and American Society of Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores at a minimum 2 year follow-up
Results
A series of 23 patients (average age, 27.8 years) with combined rotator cuff and labral lesions were evaluated at a mean follow-up of 4.6 year (range 2.2-9.4). Significant improvements in forward flexion and external rotation were observed. The mean L'Insalata and American Society of Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores for all patients were 91.8 and 92.6, respectively. Twenty patients (86.9%) reported satisfaction as good to excellent, with 17 patients (73.9%) returned to their preinjury level of athletics.
Conclusion
In patients with rotator cuff and labral lesions, arthroscopic treatment of both lesions yields good clinical outcomes, restoration of motion, and a high degree of patient satisfaction.