Background: The biceps tendon is a known source of shoulder pain. Few high-level studies have attempted to determine whether biceps tenotomy or tenodesis is the optimal approach in the treatment of biceps pathology. Most available literature is of lesser scientific quality and shows varying results in the comparison of tenotomy and tenodesis. Purpose: To compare patient-reported and objective clinical results between tenotomy and tenodesis for the treatment of lesions of the long head of the biceps brachii. Study Design: Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1. Methods: Patients aged ≥18 years undergoing arthroscopic surgery with intraoperative confirmation of a lesion of the long head of the biceps tendon were randomized. The primary outcome measure was the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, while secondary outcomes included the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index (WORC) score, elbow and shoulder strength, operative time, complications, and the incidence of revision surgery with each procedure. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed at postoperative 1 year to evaluate the integrity of the procedure in the tenodesis group. Results: A total of 114 participants with a mean age of 57.7 years (range, 34 years to 86 years) were randomized to undergo either biceps tenodesis or tenotomy. ASES and WORC scores improved significantly from pre- to postoperative time points, with a mean difference of 32.3% ( P < .001) and 37.3% ( P < .001), respectively, with no difference between groups in either outcome from presurgery to postoperative 24 months. The relative risk of cosmetic deformity in the tenotomy group relative to the tenodesis group at 24 months was 3.5 (95% CI, 1.26-9.70; P = .016), with 4 (10%) occurrences in the tenodesis group and 15 (33%) in the tenotomy group. Pain improved from 3 to 24 months postoperatively ( P < .001) with no difference between groups. Cramping was not different between groups, nor was any improvement in cramping seen over time. There were no differences between groups in elbow flexion strength or supination strength. Follow-up magnetic resonance imaging at postoperative 12 months showed that the tenodesis was intact for all patients. Conclusion: Tenotomy and tenodesis as treatment for lesions of the long head of biceps tendon both result in good subjective outcomes but there is a higher rate of Popeye deformity in the tenotomy group. Registration: NCT01747902 ( ClinicalTrials.gov identifier)

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Supraspinatus full-thickness tears with associated infraspinatus delamination are a frequent lesion, although the results of repair have not been reported. We retrospectively identified 35 patients treated for this cuff lesion among 378 open repaired full-thickness cuff tears. The aim of the study was to assess the subjective, objective, and anatomic outcomes of a subset of patients with supraspinatus tears involving delamination of the whole infraspinatus tendon. Thirty of the 35 patients were reviewed with magnetic resonance imaging at a minimum followup of 2 years (mean, 3.5 years; range, 2-6.5 years). The mean nonweighted Constant-Murley score at followup was 80/100 points, with an average gain of 17 points. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed all supraspinatus tendons but two were continuous. We observed no tear of the infraspinatus tendon, although a persistent delamination was present in 11 cases. One half of the patients had minor weakness in external rotation. One third of the infraspinatus muscles had minor fatty infiltration. Conservation of the infraspinatus tendon after closing the delamination did not seem to compromise the outcome of the supraspinatus repair. Avoiding resection of the infraspinatus delamination and treatment with simple curettage and closure yields satisfactory midterm functional and anatomic results.

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