Rapid collapse of the humeral head after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

Goto, Masafumi; Gotoh, Masafumi; Mitsui, Yasuhiro; Okawa, Takahiro; Higuchi, Fujio; Nagata, Kensei

This report presents a case of rapidly progressive collapse of the humeral head following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. We performed humeral head replacement 8 months after the index surgery; histological examination of the collapsed area revealed necrosis, degeneration, fibrillation, and granulation in the cartilage and trabeculae. Osteonecrosis due to the use of metal anchors was considered the primary cause of the post-operative humeral head collapse. As the demand for arthroscopic cuff repair is expected to increase in the future, we recommend that surgeons become aware of the potential for complications, as seen in the present case. Level of evidence: IV.

HUMERUS injuries; ROTATOR cuff surgery; ARTHROSCOPY; OSTEONECROSIS; SURGICAL complications; CANCELLOUS bone; CARTILAGE diseases; INJURY risk factors

Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy, 2015, Vol 23, Issue 2, p514

0942-2056

Academic Journal

10.1007/s00167-013-2790-7