Stronger and faster rotator cuff healing may be expected when beneficial pressure distributions exist between the repaired rotator cuff and its insertion footprint. Tendon-to-tuberosity pressure and contact characteristics should be considered in the development of improved open and arthroscopic rotator cuff repair techniques.

Level III, therapeutic study. See Guidelines for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.

Further prospective studies are needed to determine whether hip labral repair outperforms partial labral resection and/or reconstruction in clinical practice.

No abstract

Displaced three- and four-part proximal humerus fractures are among the most challenging shoulder conditions to manage. Because of the risk of symptomatic malunion, nonunion, and humeral head osteonecrosis, surgical management is preferred. Locking plate technology has provided an alternative to hemiarthroplasty for certain three- and four-part fracture patterns, even in the setting of osteopenic bone. Prosthetic humeral head replacement has been advocated for head-splitting fractures and fracture-dislocations as well as four-part fractures with significant initial varus displacement (>20°). Technical challenges, including obtaining proper humeral head height, retroversion, and optimal positioning and fixation of the tuberosities, have a substantial effect on patient outcomes.