The latest research in shoulder and elbow surgery is highlighted in the JBJS Guest Editorial What’s New in Shoulder and Elbow Surgery. Here, we present the 5 most compelling studies, as selected by coauthor Allison J. Rao, MD.
Rotator Cuff
A long-term follow-up study published in JBJS compared physical therapy and rotator cuff repair for small to medium-sized tears in 83 patients. Of the 51 patients allocated to physical therapy, 15 had crossed over to surgery by the 15-year mark. Patient-reported outcomes at 15 years favored repair1.
The outcomes of primary rotator cuff repair augmented with the REGENTEN bioinductive collagen patch (Smith+Nephew) were investigated in a systematic review and meta-analysis. Augmentation with the patch was associated with a lower retear rate compared with rotator cuff repair alone. The overall complication rates for full-thickness tears were similar between the treatment groups2.
Shoulder Instability
Arthroscopic Bankart repair combined with remplissage was studied in a systematic review and meta-analysis that included 837 patients with a concomitant Hill-Sachs lesion. Compared with patients who underwent Bankart repair alone, those who underwent Bankart repair with remplissage demonstrated a 9-times lower rate of shoulder instability recurrence, as well as increased forward elevation3.
Arthroplasty
A prospective randomized controlled trial (RCT) assessed the effect of subscapularis repair in 50 patients undergoing reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) either with or without subscapularis repair. At 36 months postoperatively, internal rotation was better in the repaired group, although Constant scores, forward flexion, external rotation, and abduction did not differ between the groups4.
Infection
The effects of various preoperative skin preparations on reducing Cutibacterium acnes positivity in arthroscopic or open shoulder surgery were studied in a meta-analysis of 17 RCTs comprising 1,350 patients. Benzoyl-peroxide was the only agent associated with lower odds of C. acnes positivity5.
What’s New in Shoulder and Elbow Surgery is freely available at JBJS.org.
What’s New by Subspecialty
Each month, JBJS publishes a review of the most pertinent studies from the orthopaedic literature in a select subspecialty. To read the reports, visit the What’s New by Subspecialty collection at JBJS.org.
Recent OrthoBuzz posts include: What’s New in Hip Surgery, What’s New in Osteoporosis and Fragility Fractures, and What’s New in Limb Lengthening and Deformity Correction.
References
- Moosmayer S, Lund G, Seljom US, Haldorsen B, Svege IC, Hennig T, Pripp AH, Smith HJ. Fifteen-year results of a comparative analysis of tendon repair versus physiotherapy for small-to-medium-sized rotator cuff tears: a concise follow-up of previous reports. J Bone Joint Surg Am. 2024 Oct 2;106(19):1785-96.
- Warren JR, Domingo-Johnson ER, Sorensen AA, Cheng AL, Latz KH, Cil A. Bioinductive patch as an augmentation for rotator cuff repair, a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2024 Nov;33(11):2515-29.
- Pawłuś N, Kanak M, Frankiewicz A, Piwnik J, Popescu IA, Borowski A, Kwapisz A. Remplissage may decrease the redislocation rate after arthroscopic Bankart repair in patients with an engaging Hill-Sachs defect: a systematic review and meta-analysis of studies with minimal 2-year follow-up. Am J Sports Med. 2025 Mar;53(3):717-26.
- Ameziane Y, Holschen M, Engel NM, Schorn D, Witt KA, Steinbeck J. Does the subscapularis repair affect the clinical outcome after primary reverse shoulder arthroplasty? J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2024 Sep;33(9):1909-17.
- Sewpaul Y, Huynh R, Leung B, Alcock H, Nayar SK, Rashid MS. Topical preparations for reducing Cutibacterium acnes infections in shoulder surgery: a systematic review and network meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Am J Sports Med. 2024 Dec;52(14):3662-72.