1998 Volume 22 Issue 2 Pages 307-310
The clinical results of surgical treatment using McLaughlin's technique for rotator cuff tears were investigated and the two groups with and without our newly designed shoulder brace were compared. Seventy-three cases (seventy-seven shoulders) underwent surgery by McLaughlin's technique. The subjects consisted of 56 males and 17 females aged from 18 to 74 years (average 53.8). The group with a brace consisted of 44 shoulders and their average age was 56.4 years. The tear sizes varied from small to massive. The group without the brace consisted of 33 shoulders and their average age was 50.4years. The tear sizes were partial, small, medium or large. The cases with small or medium size tears, with or without the brace were 32 shoulders and 21 shoulders, respectively. The clinical results were evaluated by the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score for the shoulder and ROM. The JOA scores of the groups with and without the brace improved from 64.9±21.6 to 85.0±17.0 points and from 67.2±23.8 to 89.7±12.1, respectively. The pre- and postoperative ROM of the group with the brace were flexion 136.7±33.4° and 139.2±12.8°, and external rotation 50.0±12.5° and 41.4±11.8°. Those of the group without the brace were flexion 123.8±28.1° and 153.5±8.5° and external rotation 41.3±19.6°and 41.5±14.3°. Postoperative complications occurred in 4 shoulders of rerupture in the group with the brace and 1 shoulder of infection in the group without the brace. The pre- and postoperative JOA scores and ROM of the cases with small and med i um size tears in both groups were not significantly different.
