Effect of pectoralis minor relaxation on the prognosis of rotator cuff injury under arthroscopy

Abstract

Background: Rotator cuff injury is the main cause of shoulder joint pain. Rotator cuff tear is a serious stage of rotator cuff injury. The purpose of this study was to observe the effect of pectoralis minor relaxation on the prognosis of rotator cuff injury under arthroscopy.

Methods: The clinical data of patients with rotator cuff injury admitted to our department from March 2019 to August 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. These patients were divided into a conventional arthroscopy surgery group and a pectoralis minor relaxation group. The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons' Form (ASES) and University of California at Los Angeles Shoulder Scores (UCLASS) were used to assess shoulder joint function during the postoperative and follow-up periods, and the visual analogue scale (VAS) was used to assess shoulder joint pain.

Results: Shoulder joint function of the two groups of patients was significantly improved at 1 week postoperatively compared with that before surgery (P<0.05). The shoulder joint function of the pectoralis minor relaxation group was better than that of the conventional arthroscopy surgery group (P<0.05). Also, the shoulder joint function of patients in pectoralis minor relaxation group was better than that in conventional arthroscopy surgery group at 6 weeks, 12 weeks and 6 months after surgery (P<0.05). The UCLASS evaluation results were consistent with the ASES results. At 1 week after surgery, the pain of the two groups of patients was significantly less than before the operation, but the degree of pain relief was greater at 6 weeks postoperatively. Starting at 6 weeks after surgery, the shoulder joint pain of the pectoralis minor relaxation group was less than that of conventional arthroscopy surgery group (P<0.05). The healing of the incision was observed after the operation. No incision infection or exudation was found in the two groups of patients.

Conclusions: The addition of pectoralis minor relaxation on the basis of conventional arthroscopic surgery is beneficial to the further recovery of shoulder joint function and pain reduction in patients with rotator cuff injury.

Keywords: Rotator cuff injury; arthroscopy; pectoralis minor; prognosis.