Despite the high level achieved in the field of shoulder surgery, a global consensus on rotator cuff tears management is lacking. This work is divided into two main sessions: in the first, we set questions about hot topics involved in the rotator cuff tears, from the etiopathogenesis to the surgical treatment. In the second, we answered these questions by mentioning Evidence Based Medicine. The aim of the present work is to provide easily accessible guidelines: they could be considered as recommendations for a good clinical practice developed through a process of sys- © C I C E d i z i o n i I n t e r n a z i o n a l i tematic review of the literature and expert opinion, in order to improve the quality of care and rationalize the use of resources. KEY WORDS: rotator cuff tears, Guidelines. IntroductionThe pathologies of the rotator cuff are common and they can be considered as a natural decline of the muscletendon unit in aging with statistically significant increase in frequency after 50 years. The painful shoulder is related in 30-70% of cases to disorders of the rotator cuff. The incidence of rotator cuff tears varies between 5 and 40%, although it is very difficult to establish the real incidence of these lesions, which are often asymptomatic. Currently, the pathology of the rotator cuff is considered to be multifactorial, because extrinsic and intrinsic factors play important roles, although it remains unclear the specific weight of each of these factors (Tab. 1). and often increased in number. staining eosinophilic There is a loss of orientation of homogeneous preparation the cores in relation to the bundles with hematoxylin/eosin. of collagen fibers. Chromatin has a dark color. Muscles, Ligaments and Tendons Grade 4 SevereComplete loss of orientation of The cores are reduced in number, Hyalinization with a homogeneous degeneration the collagen fiber bundles.small, dark and round. appearance. I.S.Mu.L.T -Rotator Cuff Tears Guidelines Grade 1The nuclei become more Colorable mucin between Decreased polarization Occasional clusters oval or round in shape fiber bundles but still fibers: separation of the of capillaries, less than without large cytoplasm. discrete number. individual fibers with one per 10 fields at high maintenance of the magnification. demarcation of the beams. Grade 2The nuclei are circular, Colorable mucin between Separation of the fibers 1-2 cluster of capillaries slightly widened and the fibers with loss with loss of demarcation for 10 fields at high a small amount of demarcation and a clear loss of normal magnification. of cytoplasm becomes of the beams. polarization. visible. Grade 3The nuclei are round, Abundant mucin among Demarcated separation More than two clusters wide with abundant poor colorable collagen. of fibers with complete to 10 fields at high cytoplasm and loss of architecture. magnification. the formation of a gap (chondroid change). © C I C E d i z i o n i I n t e r n a z i o n a l i MethodologyThe Authors were divided into four groups: -Coordinator: he conce...

Study Design: Case report. Background: To present the rehabilitative course, decision-making, and clinical milestones that allowed a top-level professional soccer player to return to full competitive activity 90 days after surgery. Case Description: The patient was a 35-year-old forward player who sustained an isolated complete tear of the left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in the midst of the competitive 2001-2002 season. He was in contention for a position on the Italian World Cup Team that was to be played 135 days after his injury, only if he demonstrated that he could return to play at the highest level before the team was selected. The patient underwent an arthroscopically assisted ACL reconstruction with a double-loop semitendinosus-gracilis autograft 4 days after the injury. Eight days after surgery he began rehabilitation at a rate of 2 sessions a day, 5 days a week, plus 1 session every Saturday morning. These sessions were performed in a pool for aquatic exercises, in a gymnasium for flexibility, coordination, and strength exercises, and on a soccer field for recovery of technical and tactical skills, with continuous monitoring of training intensity. Outcomes: The surgical technique and the progressive rehabilitation program allowed the patient to play for 20 minutes in an official First Division soccer game 77 days after surgery and to play a full game 90 days after surgery. Eighteen months postsurgery, the player had participated in 62 First Division matches, scoring 26 times, and had received no further treatment for his knee. Discussion: This case report suggests that early return to high-level competition after ACL reconstruction is possible in some instances. Some factors that may have favored the early return include optimal physical fitness before surgery, a strong psychological determination, an isolated ACL lesion, a properly placed and tensioned graft, a personalized progression of volume and intensity of exercise loads, and an appropriate density of rehabilitative training consisting of a mix of gymnasium, pool, and field exercises. J Orthop Sport Phys Ther 2005;35:52-66.

Medial knee pain is commonplace in clinical practice and can be related to several pathologic conditions: ie, medial plica syndrome, saphenous nerve entrapment, pes anserine syndrome, medial collateral ligament injury, and medial meniscus disorders. Ultrasound (US) imaging represents a valuable first‐line diagnostic approach to adequately visualize the superficial structures in the medial compartment of the knee to easily plan for prompt treatment. Currently, the management of chronic degenerative diseases involving the menisci, and causing their extrusion, consists of surgery (arthroscopic partial meniscectomy). This procedure often allows only a partial resolution of pain and functional impairment. In the pertinent literature, US‐guided interventions for the medial meniscus are proposed, mainly to decrease pain and inflammation or to induce regeneration. Likewise, this Technical Innovation describes in detail the US findings of medial extrusive meniscopathy and also illustrates a novel US‐guided technique to treat the bursa of the medial collateral ligament, the extruded fragment of the medial meniscus, and the synovial parameniscal recesses simultaneously.

Despite the high level achieved in the field of shoulder surgery, a global consensus on rotator cuff tears management is lacking. This work is divided into two main sessions: in the first, we set questions about hot topics involved in the rotator cuff tears, from the etiopathogenesis to the surgical treatment. In the second, we answered these questions by mentioning Evidence Based Medicine. The aim of the present work is to provide easily accessible guidelines: they could be considered as recommendations for a good clinical practice developed through a process of systematic review of the literature and expert opinion, in Guidelines order to improve the quality of care and rationalize the use of resources.

This proposal for guidelines was presented during the 11th SICSeG Congress on May 2012 and to the main scientific societies concerned in shoulder surgery and rehabilitation. A consensus conference is needed in order to formalize and make them usable from all the professional figures involved in this field.