Shoulder pain is very common, affecting 14-21 % of the population at some time during their lifetime. The aims of this thesis were to improve the understanding of various aspects concerning the pathogenesis and treatment of subacromial pain and rotator cuff tears. Patients and healthy individuals were examined and compared in five studies: Study I) Seventy patients were retrospectively examined, clinically and with ultrasound, 15 years after arthroscopic subacromial decompression. All patients had an intact rotator cuff at surgery. Ultrasound showed significantly fewer rotator cuff tears compared to the prevalence of asymptomatic tears reported in the literature for the same age group. This indicates that arthroscopic subacromial decompression might protect the rotator cuff. Study II) Forty-two patients were retrospectively examined, clinically and with ultrasound, 39 months (mean) after an acute rotator cuff repair. All patients had pseudoparalysis after trauma, a full thickness tear and no previous history of shoulder symptoms. A delay in surgical treatment of three months and the number of tendons injured did not affect the outcome. Age affected outcome negatively. Study III) Plasma samples from 17 patients with cuff tears and 16 plasma samples from healthy age- and gender-matched controls were collected and analysed regarding the levels of matrix metalloproteinases and their inhibitors, TIMP1-4. Elevated levels of TIMP-1 were found in the patients with cuff tears compared to controls. Higher levels of TIMP-1, TIMP-3 and MMP-9 were found in patients with full-thickness tears compared to patients with partial-thickness tears. Study IV) Ninety-seven patients with longstanding subacromial pain, on the waiting-list for arthroscopic subacromial decompression, were prospectively randomised to specific shoulder exercises or control exercises for three months. Thereafter they were clinically examined and asked if they still wanted surgery. The specific shoulder exercises focusing on eccentric exercise for the rotator cuff and scapula stabilisers were found to be effective in reducing subacromial pain and improving shoulder function, thereby reducing the need for surgery. Study V) All patients including those operated, in Study IV were re-examined after one year using clinical assessment scores. The option of surgery was continuously available up to the one-year follow-up. Ultrasound and radiological examinations performed at inclusion were analysed in relation to the choice of surgery. The positive effects of the specific exercise programme were maintained after one year and significantly fewer patients in this group chose surgery. Surgery was significantly more often chosen by patients who had a low baseline shoulder score, and/or a full thickness rotator cuff tear.  All patients showed significant improvement in the clinical scores one year after inclusion or one year after surgery. These results support the concept that subacromial pain has a multifactorial aetiology and that the first line of treatment should be specific shoulder exercises. When conservative treatment fails, an acceptable result can be achieved with arthroscopic subacromial decompression. The rotator cuff status is important to consider when treating and studying these patients.

Rotator cuff disorders encompass a range of impairments from tendinopathy to partialor full-thickness rotator cuff tears, and represent the largest subgroup of shoulder pain. Rotator cuff tears, most of which are atraumatic, are common in adults with shoulder pain and are strongly associated with increasing age. Conservative treatment including physiotherapy is the first-line treatment, but some patients do not respond, and ultimately require surgery. Early predictions of response could allow individuals’ care pathways to be optimised, preventing unnecessary delays and suffering and benefiting patients and healthcare providers alike. My primary aim was to develop a prognostic model for the outcome of physiotherapy in adults with painful atraumatic partial-thickness tears (PTTs) of the rotator cuff. This was addressed by a prospective prognostic model study. The study was underpinned by a systematic review of prognostic models in adults undergoing physiotherapy for painful rotator cuff disorders and was further informed and complemented by the following work: the development and validation of the physiotherapy protocol for the prognostic study; the identification, selection and definition of the candidate prognostic factors for the prognostic study; the estimation of the Minimal Important Difference (MID) of the study’s primary outcome measure (the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index, WORC); and an exploratory responder analysis of the WORC outcome scores. The prognostic systematic review, prognostic study, MID analysis and responder analysis are original contributions to knowledge. The prognostic systematic review revealed important methodological deficiencies in the five included studies, and no clinically usable model. No study addressed a distinct PTT population. The process of identifying factors for my own prognostic model study revealed a lack of knowledge about the prognostic relevance of factors. All of the candidate models I explored in my prognostic study (n sample = 65, n analysed = 61) had low performance and precision. The estimated MID of the WORC was -300. The responder analysis resulted in different proportions of responders to treatment depending on the responder definition. My results highlight the difficulties involved in predicting outcomes in the field of shoulder pain and rotator cuff disorders, and the need for methodologically sound prognosis research.

Supraspinatus (SSP) tendon tear leads to intramuscular fat accumulation in the SSP muscle and the mechanisms are currently unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in vascularization of the SSP muscle and the relationship to intramuscular fat accumulation following SSP tendon detachment with or without reattachment. One hundred and six rabbits underwent SSP tendon detachment. In groups of ten, thirty rabbits were sacrificed 4, 8, and 12 weeks following detachment. Forty rabbits underwent detachment and immediate reattachment and were sacrificed in groups of ten following 0, 1, 2, and 6 weeks of healing. In groups of twelve, the remaining thirty-six rabbits underwent SSP tendon reattachment 4, 8, and 12 weeks after detachment and were sacrificed 12 weeks later. Vascularization was quantified in each specimen using CD31 immunohistochemistry. Four weeks after SSP tendon detachment, there was an increase in vascularization of the distal SSP muscle that reached significance after 12 weeks of detachment (p=0.024). We found that vascularization was positively correlated with intramuscular fat accumulation after detachment only (r=0.29; p=0.008). After SSP tendon reattachment, immediate or delayed, the correlation between vascularization and intramuscular fat accumulation was not observed. Microscopically, some SSP muscle vascular structures in the reattachment group had thicker vascular walls which were further quantified using αSMA immunohistochemistry. The delayed reattachment group showed an increase in vascular wall thickness in the distal portion of the SSP muscle at 4+12 (p=0.012) and 12+12 (p=0.012) weeks and in the proximal portion at 4+12 (p=0.024) weeks. Further investigation is required to demonstrate a cause/effect relationship between increased vascularization and intramuscular fat accumulation in the context of rotator cuff tear and success of surgical repair.

The aim of this thesis was to study different aspects of the soft tissues of the shoulder joint. The variation in the quality of the tendons and ligaments can be explained by genetic factors. To test the hypothesis that collagen 1 α1 Sp1 polymorphism is related to the occurrence of cruciate ligament ruptures and shoulder dislocations, a total of 358 patients (233 patients with cruciate ligament ruptures and 126 with shoulder dislocations) were included in the study. We found a decreased risk of these injuries associated with collagen type 1 α1 Sp1 polymorphism. To study the mechanical properties of a better type of fixation of soft tissue to bone, 10 skeletally mature New Zealand white rabbits were operated bilaterally on the knees. The medial collateral ligaments were fixed by two types of plates one with a flat undersurface and the other with a pegged undersurface. After 4 weeks the force at failure, stiffness and energy uptake was almost double in the knees operated with the pegged plates. The prevalence and dysfunction of rotator cuff tears was investigated in 106 subjects who had never sought for their shoulder complaints, using Constant score, ultrasound and plain x-ray. The prevalence of full-thickness cuff tears was 30% (21% of all shoulders). The Constant score was lower in subjects with full-thickness tears. Partial-thickness tears and acromioclavicular joint osteoarthritis had no impact on shoulder complaints or Constant score. The subacromial index was lower for shoulders with full-thickness tears. Forty-eight patients with median age 56 years underwent subacromial decompression with or without acromioclavicular joint resection, investigated with MRI pre- and 3 months postoperatively. The Constant score and subjective shoulder value were measured preoperatively and at 3 and 6 months after surgery and even 2 years for subjective shoulder value. Two raters investigated the MRI. The results showed poor inter-rater reliability for MRI. However, both Constant score and subjective shoulder value improved over time. MRI is not a reliable method to study the capsular reaction after subacromial decompression due to high subjectivity of the radiologists.

No description available.

京都大学 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(人間健康科学) / 甲第24541号 / 人健博第112号 / 新制||人健||8(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科人間健康科学系専攻 / (主査)教授 黒木 裕士, 教授 青山 朋樹, 教授 松田 秀一 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Human Health Sciences / Kyoto University / DFAM

To explore the potential mechanisms of tendon degeneration, we investigated the role of c-Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK) activation and the regulation of matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MMP1) in tendon matrix degradation under oxidative stress. JNK and MMP1 activity in samples from normal and ruptured human supraspinatus tendons were evaluated by immunohistochemistry. Real-time quantitative PCR was utilized to evaluate MMP1 mRNA expression and western blotting for MMP1 and JNK protein detection. JNK activation and increased MMP1 activity were found in the torn human supraspinatus tendon tissue, as well as in human tendon cells under in vitro oxidative stress. Inhibition of JNK prevented MMP1 over-expression in oxidative stressed human tendon cells. Results from the current study indicated that stress activated JNK plays an important role in tendon matrix degradation, possibly through upregulating of MMP1.

Bakgrund: Rehabiliteringen efter en rotatorkuffrupturoperation är oftast lång och följer olika faser med hänsyn till senans inläkning. Behandlingsresultatet är multifaktoriellt och det rekommenderas att rehabiliteringen individanpassas. För att följa och utvärdera rehabiliteringsprocessen behövs funktionella axeltester. I dagsläget saknas reliabla och validerade funktionella axeltester under rehabiliteringens tidigare faser. Syfte: Syftet med denna studie är att undersöka reliabiliteten hos två standardiserade armlyft, Aktivt armlyft i flexion och Aktivt armlyft i skapulaplanet, med statiskt kvarhåll i 90° under 30 sekunder, för vuxna individer som genomgått enrotatorkuffrupturoperation för cirka tre månader sedan. Metod: Datainsamlingen utfördes i tre steg, först utfördes en videoinspelning av de standardiserade armlyften av två fysioterapeuter. Därefter utfördes två bedömningstillfällen av två andra fysioterapeuter. Videoinspelningarna, armlyften och bedömningarna utfördes enligt standardiserade protokoll. Inter- och intrareliabilitetsbedömningarna baserades på videoinspelningarna där de två bedömarna graderade patienternas förmåga att utföra de två standardiserade armlyften utifrån utfallsmåtten ”Klarar” eller ”Klarar ej”. Överensstämmelsen analyserades i IBM SPSS med Cohens Kappa. Resultat: Åtta manliga studiedeltagare i åldrarna 49–71 år (medelålder 59,4 år) deltog. Videoinspelningarna utfördes i genomsnitt 15,25 (±3,9) veckor efter operation. Den andra bedömningen genomfördes i genomsnitt 9 (±3,1) dagar efterförsta bedömningen. Resultatet visade att interbedömarreliabiliteten var ”God”(k=0,71) till ”Utmärkt” (k=1,00) och intrabedömareliabiliteten var ”Utmärkt”(k=1,00). Slutsats: Denna studie fann att inter- och intrabedömarreliabilitet var ”God” till”Utmärkt” gällande de två standardiserade armlyften. Resultatet bör tolkas med försiktighet på grund av det begränsade deltagarantalet och ingen säker slutsats kandras. Ytterligare forskning behövs för att fastställa klinisk betydelse. / Background: Rehabilitation after rotator cuff tear surgery is often long and follows different phases with consideration for tendon healing. The treatment result is multifactorial, and the rehabilitation is recommended to be individualized.vFunctional shoulder tests are of value and evaluate the rehabilitation process. Currently, reliable and validated functional shoulder tests are lacking during the earlier phases of rehabilitation. Purpose: The purpose of this study is to investigate the reliability of two standardized arm lifts, Active shoulder flexion and Active shoulder scaption, with astatic hold at 90° for 30 seconds, three months post-surgery. Method: Data collection was conducted in three steps. Starting with videorecordings of the standardized arm lifts by two physiotherapists. Followed by two assessment sessions with approximately one week apart, by two other physiotherapists. The video recordings, arm lifts, and assessments were performed according to standardized protocols. Inter- and intrarater reliability assessments were based on the video recordings. The examiners graded the patient’s ability to perform the two functional shoulder tests based on the outcomes "Approved" or "Non-approved". The agreement was calculated with IBM SPSS using Cohen's Kappa. Results: Eight men were included, 49-71 years (mean age 59,4 years). The videorecordings and the first evaluation were performed in mean 15,3 (±3,9) weeks postsurgery. The second evaluation was performed in mean 9,4 (±3,1) days after the first evaluation. The results showed that the interrater-reliability was “Good” (k=0,71) to“Excellent” (k=1,00), and the intrarater-reliability was “Excellent” (k=1,00). Conclusion: This study found that the inter- and intrarater reliability for the two standardized arm lifts were good to excellent. The limited number of participants requires caution with the interpretation of the results and no definitive conclusion can be drawn. Further research is needed to establish any clinical significance.

No description available.

Introduction : Les travaux réalisés par Bascans ont permis de mieux comprendre la fonction des patients atteints d’une rupture de la coiffe des rotateurs au moment du diagnostic à l’aide de paramètres morphologiques osseux et musculaires intégrés dans un modèle de régression linéaire. Les paramètres osseux étudiés provenaient d’une méthode de reconstruction 3D de l’épaule à partir d’images EOS. Jusqu’à présent, aucune étude ne s’est intéressée à prédire l’évolution dans le temps des patients atteints d’une rupture de la coiffe des rotateurs à l’aide de ces paramètres ni à valider l’imagerie EOS pour l’évaluation de l’épaule. Objectif : Nous souhaitons prédire l’évolution de la fonction de l’épaule des patients atteints d’une rupture de la coiffe des rotateurs à partir de paramètres musculaires et de la morphologie osseuse. Ensuite, nous souhaitons comparer l’imagerie EOS à la radiographie standard de l’épaule pour l’évaluation des patients à la clinique externe d’orthopédie. Méthode : Dans un premier temps, 50 personnes ayant participé à une étude portant sur la fonction de l’épaule en 2009 furent réévaluées. Leur fonction mesurée fut corrélée à leur fonction prédite par le modèle de régression linéaire créé par Bascans. De nouveaux modèles ont ensuite été créés afin de mieux comprendre l’évolution de la douleur, de la force et de la fonction de leur épaule telle que mesurées par le score de Constant et le QuickDash. Dans un deuxième temps, 47 patients nécessitant une radiographie standard de l’épaule dans le cadre de leur consultation à la clinique externe d’orthopédie ont été recrutés. En plus de la radiographie standard, ils ont passé un examen radiographique EOS antéro-postérieur de leur épaule. Un comité d’expert formé de deux orthopédistes et d’une radiologiste a créé un questionnaire d’évaluation des images grâce à la méthode Delphi. Ces trois spécialistes ont ensuite analysé chaque image présentée dans un ordre aléatoire. Résultats : La majorité des participants atteints d’une rupture de la coiffe des rotateurs ont été opérés pendant le suivi. Nous ne pouvons donc pas prédire l’évolution naturelle de ces patients. Nous avons cependant produit des modèles de régression linéaire qui améliorent considérablement notre compréhension des paramètres ayant un impact sur la fonction initiale. Notamment, nos modèles expliquent 66,8% de la variabilité du score de Constant et 71,8% de celle du QuickDash pour les femmes. L’imagerie EOS antéro-postérieure de l’épaule permet d’obtenir des mesures de la distance sousacromiale et de l’espace acromio-claviculaire similaires à la radiographie standard, avec une différence moyenne de 1,4 mm entre les modes d’imagerie, ce qui n’est pas cliniquement significatif. L’imagerie EOS produit des images de qualité légèrement inférieure et pouvant présenter légèrement plus d’artéfacts de mouvement que la radiographie standard. Ces différences sont cependant mineures et ne semblent pas avoir d’impact sur la capacité des spécialistes à émettre avec confiance un diagnostic. Conclusions : Cette étude a permis de mieux comprendre les paramètres morphologiques ayant un impact sur la fonction de l’épaule des patients. Elle a également révélé que les paramètres corrélant avec le niveau fonctionnel ne sont pas les mêmes en fonction du sexe. Nous avons démontré que les images EOS sont légèrement inférieures à la radiographie standard, mais demeurent un mode d’imagerie adéquat et valide. L’imagerie EOS pourrait donc être utilisée en clinique externe d’orthopédie, ce qui diminuerait l’exposition aux radiations des patients et qui permettrait d’intégrer plus facilement en clinique les connaissances développées à partir de la reconstruction 3D de l’épaule. / Introduction : Bascans improved our understanding of shoulder function at diagnosis of rotator cuff tear using morphological bony and muscular paramaters in a linear regression model. The bony parameters were measured using a 3D reconstruction of the shoulder generated from EOS images. Up to now, no study tried to predict shoulder function of patients suffering from rotator cuff tear using these parameters. The EOS imaging system has not been compared to the standard X-rays for the evaluation of shoulders yet. Objectives : We aim to predict the evolution of shoulder function for patients with a rotator cuff tear using the same morphological parameters as Basacans. Our second objective is to compare the EOS imaging system to standard X-Rays for shoulder evaluation at the orthopedic outpatient clinic. Method : Fifty participants from a 2009 study on shoulder function were re-evaluated. Their measured shoulder function was correlated to their predicted shoulder function using a linear regression model. Moreover, new models were created to improve our understanding of pain, strength, and shoulder function as measured in the Constant Score and the QuickDash. Forty-seven other patients who needed to undergo shoulder X-Rays at the orthopeadic outpatient clinic were recruited. Besides their shoulder X-Rays, they underwent an anterioposterior EOS shoulder radiograph. An expert committee of two orthopedists and one radiologist created a shoulder radiographs’ evaluation survey using the Delphi methodology. The committee then evaluated each image in a random order. Results : The majority of participants who suffered from a rotator cuff tear have had a surgery since the first study. Therefore, we were not able to predict the natural evolution of these patients. However, we were able to produce linear regression models that considerably improve our understanding of the parameters that have an impact on shoulder function at diagnosis. Our regression models explain 66.8% of the variability of the Constant score and 71.8% of the variability of the QuickDash for female participants. The measure of the subacromial distance and the acromioclavicular space was similar in anteroposterior shoulder images from the EOS system and the standard X-rays, with a mean difference of 1.4 mm between the two imaging techniques, which is not clinically significant. EOS images are of slightly inferior quality than the standard X-rays. This difference remains minor and does not seem to have an impact on the specialists’ ability to make a confident diagnosis from these images. Conclusions : This study improves our understanding of the morphological parameters that have an impact on shoulder function. Moreover, it revealed that the parameters that have an impact on shoulder function are not the same depending on the patients’ sex. We demonstrated that shoulder EOS images are slightly inferior to standard X-Rays, but that they still produce images of a sufficient quality for diagnosis. Therefore, the EOS images could be used at the orthopedic outpatient clinic, which would reduce patients’ exposure to radiation and would facilitate the integration in the clinical setting of the research based on shoulder 3D reconstruction.