Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34136859›Full record

ArticleJSES international2021

Footprint size matters: wider coronal greater tuberosity width is associated with increased rates of healing after rotator cuff repair.

Noah J Quinlan, Bradley Hillyard, John Cade Wheelwright, Matt Miller, Jun Kawakami, Robert Z Tashjian, Peter N Chalmers

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JSES international, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Noah J QuinlanOrthopaedic Resident, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Bradley HillyardResearch Associate, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
John Cade WheelwrightResearch Associate, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Matt MillerResearch Associate, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Jun KawakamiResearch Associate, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Robert Z TashjianProfessor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.
Peter N ChalmersAssistant Professor, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe purpose of this study was to determine whether greater tuberosity morphology (1) could be measured reliably on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), (2) differed between patients with rotator cuff tears (RCTs) compared with those without tears or glenohumeral osteoarthritis, or (3) differed between patients with rotator cuff repairs (RCR) who healed and those that did not.

methodsThis is a retrospective comparative study. (1) We measured greater tuberosity width (coronal and sagittal), lateral offset, and angle on MRI corrected into the plane of the humerus. To determine reliability, these measurements were made by two observers and intraclass correlation coefficients were calculated. (2) We compared these measurements between patients with a full-thickness RCT and patients aged >50 years without evidence of a RCT or glenohumeral osteoarthritis. (3) We then compared these measurements between those patients with healed RCRs and those with evidence of retear on MRI. In this portion, we only included patients with both a preoperative and postoperative MRI at least 1 year from RCR. Postoperative MRIs were obtained to assess healing rates, not because of concern for failure. Those without tendon defects were considered healed.

results(1) In a validation cohort of 50 patients with MRI, all inter-rater intraclass correlation coefficients were greater than 0.75. (2) There were no differences between our RCT group of 110 patients and our comparison group of 100 patients in tuberosity coronal width, sagittal width, or lateral offset. The RCT group had a significantly smaller greater tuberosity angle (63 ± 4° vs 65 ± 5°,

conclusionRCTs do not appear to be associated with greater tuberosity morphology. Postoperative rotator cuff healing based on MRI is 76%. Higher rates of healing occur with a wider coronal tuberosity width (ie, rotator cuff tendon footprint). Consideration could be given to widening the footprint intraoperatively in an effort to improve healing rates although this remains to be validated.

Indexed as

Humeral morphologyMRI analysisRadiographic analysisRotator cuffRotator cuff repairRotator cuff tearTuberosity morphology

Identifiers

PMID34136859
PMCPMC8178600

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.