Case study: failure of superior capsular reconstruction using dermal allograft

• Published in: Skeletal radiology Vol. 46; no. 11; pp. 1585 - 1589
• Main Authors: Zerr, J., McDermott, J. D., Beckmann, N. M., Fullick, R. K., Chhabra, A.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin/Heidelberg Springer Berlin Heidelberg 01.11.2017; Springer; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Allografts; Arthroplasty; Arthroscopy; Biomedical materials; Case Report; Case studies; Humans; Imaging; Injuries; Joint Capsule - surgery; Joint surgery; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Nuclear Medicine; Orthopedic surgery; Orthopedics; Pain Measurement; Pathology; Radiology; Reconstruction; Reconstructive Surgical Procedures; Reoperation; Rotator Cuff Injuries - surgery; Shoulder; Skin; Skin Transplantation - methods; Surgical implants; Tearing; Transplantation of organs, tissues, etc; Superior capsular reconstruction; Rotator cuff tear; Dermal allograft; Rotator cuff repair failure; Rotator cuff repair
• ISSN: 0364-2348; 1432-2161
• DOI: 10.1007/s00256-017-2716-4

Superior capsular reconstruction (SCR) is a novel technique for treating irreparable rotator cuff tears in younger patients in whom a reverse total shoulder arthroplasty is not the optimal treatment choice. This case study describes a middle-aged male with a recurrent, massive, irreparable rotator cuff tear treated with SCR that subsequently failed at the glenoid attachment. The patient underwent successful arthroscopic revision of the SCR. The case illustrates the MRI and arthroscopic correlations of the failed dermal allograft reconstruction, which to our knowledge has not been previously shown in the radiology literature.