title: Complete Fatty infiltration of intact rotator cuffs caused by suprascapular neuropathy.
abstract: Suprascapular neuropathy is generally considered to be a diagnosis of exclusion, although it has been described in association with several activities and conditions. To our knowledge, this is the first description of suprascapular neuropathy with complete neurogenic fatty replacement in patients with intact rotator cuff tendons in the absence of traction or compression mechanisms. We present 4 cases of patients who presented with complete fatty infiltration of the supraspinatus (1 patient), infraspinatus (2 patients), and both (1 patient) resulting from suprascapular neuropathy. Each of these patients underwent arthroscopic suprascapular nerve decompression and subsequently had immediate improvement in pain and subjective shoulder value.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Naval Medical Center San Diego, San Diego, California, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Lance E
authors.initials: LE
authors.lastname: Leclere
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and Rehabilitative Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Lewis L
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Albert
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Harvard Shoulder Service, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Paul
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Yannopoulos
authors.affiliation: Sports Medicine and Shoulder Service, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
authors.forename: Laurence D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Higgins
authors.affiliation: Harvard Shoulder Service, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. Electronic address: jwarner@partners.org.
authors.forename: Jon J P
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Warner
mesh_terms: D000273:Adipose Tissue / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000209:etiology; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000379:methods; D004576:Electromyography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018908:Muscle Weakness / Q000209:etiology; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology*; D009408:Nerve Compression Syndromes / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000601:surgery*; D017006:Rotator Cuff / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery; D012782:Shoulder / Q000294:innervation* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D013715:Tennis / Q000293:injuries