Arthroscopic Assessment of the Incidence of Biceps Pulley Lesions Associated With Rotator Cuff Tears: An Observational Study.

Abstract

The shoulder joint houses a stabilizing structure called the biceps pulley. Biceps pulley lesions can trigger anterior shoulder pain and frequently coincide with rotator cuff tears, whose prevalence rises with age. In our study, we aim to assess the incidence of biceps pulley lesions associated with rotator cuff tears in patients undergoing arthroscopic repair, the possible associated factors, and whether MRI findings were correlated with them. This study was a prospective observational one conducted at Al-Hadra University Hospital. The patients aged 40 to 65 years were indicated for arthroscopic repair of a rotator cuff tear. We used IBM Corp. Released 2011. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 20.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp. to conduct the analysis. A total of 60 patients were enrolled in the study. The mean age was 50.97 ± 6.90. The overall incidence of biceps pulley lesions was 85%. Older age was found to be significantly associated with increased incidence. On the other hand, gender, and the mode of injury (cuff tear) had no significant associations with the incidence. Also, formal MR had no significance in diagnosing biceps pulley lesions. The overall incidence of biceps pulley lesions in the current study was 85%. The older the patient with a cuff tear, the greater the incidence of finding a pulley lesion arthroscopically. Moreover, MRI did not have a significant role in diagnosing the biceps pulley lesions.