title: Superior excursion of the humeral head: a diagnostic tool in rotator cuff tear surgery.
abstract: Superior excursion of the humeral head on the face of the glenoid was investigated to determine whether a relationship exists between the degree of humeral head excursion and the identity of the injured tendon in a shoulder with a torn rotator cuff. Twenty-seven patients with unilateral full-thickness rotator cuff tears diagnosed by either positive arthrogram or magnetic resonance imaging were included in this study. Three groups were formed based on intraoperative findings: 10 patients had isolated supraspinatus tendon tears (group 1), 11 patients had supraspinatus and infraspinatus tears (group 2), and 6 patients had supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and subscapularis tendon tears (group 3). There was no statistically significant difference between the degree of humeral head excursion in groups 1 and 2. However, patients in group 3 had a statistically significantly higher degree of excursion of the humeral head (P < .05) when compared with groups 1 and 2. In addition, an inverse relationship between the degree of humeral head excursion and preoperative Constant scores was found. Superior excursion of the humeral head on the glenoid had a significantly higher incidence in patients with subscapularis tears, and a larger amount of excursion was present in patients who had lower preoperative Constant scores.
authors: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Marmara University Hospital, Istanbul, Turkey. bezer@superonline.com
authors: Murat
authors: M
authors: Bezer
authors: Yakup
authors: Y
authors: Yildirim
authors: Umut
authors: U
authors: Akgün
authors: Bülent
authors: B
authors: Erol
authors: Osman
authors: O
authors: Güven
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006811:Humerus / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011859:Radiography; D017006:Rotator Cuff / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D000070636:Rotator Cuff Injuries; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*