Rotator cuff (RTC) disease is a particularly prevalent cause of shoulder pain and weakness presenting to primary care physicians, internists, rheumatologists, and orthopedists. An understanding of the anatomy of the RTC tendons and the underlying pathogenesis aids in the diagnosis, which is based largely on history and specific physical examination tests. Imaging may further define the pathology and aid in the evaluation of other sources of shoulder pain. Injuries to the RTC range from tendonitis to partial thickness tears to full thickness tears. The majority of patients with impingement and some cases of partial thickness tears may be managed effectively with non-operative measures including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, local injections, and physical therapy. Predictors of a good outcome with non-operative treatment include pre-injury strength, ability to raise the arm to the level of the shoulder, and a more acute presentation. Persistent symptoms may require operative intervention including debridement, subacromial decompression, and/or RTC repair. Acute full thickness tears in younger patients in addition to failed nonoperative management of full thickness tears in older patients are the most likely to require surgery, which may be done open or arthroscopically. The majority of tears are amenable to the less invasive arthroscopic method, which yields good success rates and high patient satisfaction.

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The experimental setup was found to be precise and reliable. It can be applied to compare different hexapod-based fixators. Accuracy of the investigated hexapod system was high.

Hardware removal can be a complication-afflicted operation, especially cases involving locked-plate removal should only be performed if a strong indication is evident. Possible benefits of the procedure should be considered carefully, taking the cost-benefit ratio into account.

Background:Osteochondral injuries often lead to osteoarthritis of the affected joint. All established systems for refixation of osteochondral defects show certain disadvantages. To address the problem of reduced stability in resorbable implants, ultrasound-activated pins were developed. By ultrasound-activated melting of the tip of these implants, a more secure anchoring is assumed.Materials and methods:The aim of the study was to investigate if ultrasound-activated pins can provide secure fixation of osteochondral fragments compared to screws and conventional resorbable pins. In a biomechanical laboratory setting, osteochondral fragments of the medial femoral condyle of sheep were refixated with ultrasound-activated pins [US fused poly(L-lactide-co-D,L-lactide) (PLDLLA) pins], polydioxanone (PDA) pins and conventional titanium screws. Anchoring forces of the different fixation methods were examined, registered and compared concerning shear force and tensile force.Results:Concerning the pull out test, the US fused PLDLLA pins and titanium screws (~122 N and ~203 N) showed comparable good results, while the PDA pins showed significantly lower anchoring forces (~18 N). Examination of shear forces showed a significantly higher anchoring of the screws (~248 N) than the US fused PLDLLA pins (~218 N). Nevertheless, the US fused PLDLLA pins could significantly outperform the PDA pins (~68 N) concerning shear forces.Conclusion:The US fused PLDLLA pins demonstrated a comparable anchorage to the fixation with screws, but were free from the disadvantages of metal implants, i.e. the need for implant removal. The PDA pin application showed inferior biomechanical properties.