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Joseph P. Iannotti, M.D., Ph.D.

Material Covered:

Full thickness tears of the rotator cuff often present in the middle-aged and elderly population. There is wide variation in terms of the extent of rotator cuff tears, the patient's symptoms, the patient's goals and therefore the treatment options.

In this JBJS/VJO Video Supplement to Dr. Iannotti's paper, published in July 2001, several important topics are covered:

• Patient evaluation
• Treatment options
• Indications/Contraindications
• Preoperative planning
• Surgical approach options
• Suture technique developed by Dr. Iannotti
• Pearls on avoiding complications

The surgical case presented in this video involves a deltopectoral approach as the patient's tear involved the anterior portion of the subscapularis tendon. Because the injury occurred 5 months previously, the procedure is challenging as the bursal tissue has thickened considerably causing identification of tendinous tissues difficult. In addition the possibility of a muscle transfer remains a possibility until the repair is completed and the resulting cuff tension evaluated.

This video is an excellent tool in reviewing the critical steps of open rotator cuff repair, namely tendon identification and mobilization, removal of bursal tissue, tendon releases, relaxing incisions, capsular releases and transposition of tissue.

See the corresponding JBJS Article:

Leesa M. Galatz, Sean Griggs, Brian D. Cameron, and Joseph P. Iannotti.

Prospective Longitudinal Analysis of Postoperative Shoulder Function : A Ten-Year Follow-up Study of Full-Thickness Rotator Cuff Tears.
J Bone Joint Surg Am 2001 83: 1052-1056. [Abstract] [Full Text]

• Total Run Time: 28:18 minutes
• Catalog Number: 7045
• Publication Date: September 2001
• Formats: NTSC, PAL and DVD

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