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. 2021 Apr 7:18:6-12.
doi: 10.1016/j.jcot.2021.03.019. eCollection 2021 Jul.

Management of rotator cuff tears - Key historical landmarks

John R Adam  1 , Shashi K T Nanjayan  1 , Puneet Monga  2
Affiliations

Management of rotator cuff tears - Key historical landmarks

John R Adam et al. J Clin Orthop Trauma. .

Abstract

The management of rotator cuff pathology has developed over hundreds of years. In this article, we take a journey from the early days, in order to understand how we have reached our modern-day practice. Initially our understanding of rotator cuff pathology was based on cadaveric anatomical findings and this has enhanced over the years by the development of radiological and surgical techniques. We discuss the historical debates over the pathogenesis of cuff dysfunction. This work describes the landmark publications by several clinicians who have made important contributions to our understanding of rotator cuff pathology and its management. We follow the trends of surgical management of rotator cuff tears, traditionally performed via an open technique, to an exponential rise in arthroscopic surgery in recent years. As new techniques emerge, a review of the historical rise and fall of techniques is a reminder for us to remain vigilant of surgical indications and rigorous outcome analysis.

Keywords: History; Landmarks; Management; Rotator cuff surgery.

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Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Illustration appears to show a supraspinatus and infraspinatus tear being probed. Republished with permission of: John Wiley and Sons, British Journal of Surgery, from “Ruptures of the rotator cuff”, H.F. Moseley, Volume 38, Issue 151, p 340–369, Copyright © 2005 (Initial publication 1951). Permission conveyed through Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Bigliani’s classification of acromion undersurface with corresponding supraspinatus outlet view radiograph. Reprinted from: Asia-Pacific Journal of Sports Medicine, Arthroscopy, Rehabilitation and Technology, Volume 2, Issue 1, V. Pandey and W.J. Willems, Rotator cuff tear: A detailed update, p1-14, Copyright © 2015, with permission from Elsevier.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
The No.21 arthroscope. Reprinted from: Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic & Related Surgery, Volume 2, Issue 4, M. Watanabe, Memories of the early days of arthroscopy, Copyright © 1986, with permission from Elsevier.
Fig. 4
Fig. 4
The analogy of the deadman system in rotator cuff tears. Reprinted from: Arthroscopy: The Journal of Arthroscopic & Related Surgery, Volume 11, Issue 1, S.S. Burkhart, The deadman theory of suture anchors: observations along a South Texas fence line, pp. 119–123, Copyright © 1995, with permission from Elsevier.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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