Abstract
ObjectivesWe investigated the relationship between acromial shape, classified as Type I-IV by magnetic resonance imaging, and the occurrence and characteristics of rotator cuff tears (RCTs).MethodsThis retrospective cohort study included 89 patients aged 25 - 60 years who underwent RCT surgeries in the Orthopedic Department at King Abdulaziz University Hospital (KAUH) from January 2014 to April 2019. We collected imaging findings from the KAUH record system, which were then entered into a Google form (Google, Inc., Mountain View, CA) and exported to Microsoft Excel 2016 (Microsoft® Corp., Redmond, WA). Correlations between variables were assessed using Chi-squared tests.ResultsThe supraspinatus muscle in both men and women was most commonly affected by RCTs, accounting for 73.6% of all tears. Subscapularis was the next most commonly injured muscle of the rotator cuff (15.1%), followed by the infraspinatus muscle (11.3%). The majority of supraspinatus, infraspinatus, and subscapularis tears (69.2%, 66.7%, and 56.3%, respectively) were associated with flat acromia. In all cases, tears in association with flat acromia were more prevalent among women (supraspinatus: 51.3% in women, 17.9% in men, p = 0.030; infraspinatus: 50% in women, 16.7% in men, p = 0.292; subscapularis: 43.8% in women, 12.5% in men, p = 0.054).ConclusionsNo correlation exists between acromial shape and sex, regardless of the specific muscle injured. However, supraspinatus injury, acromial shape, and sex are significantly related; right-side partial tear injuries occur more frequently among women aged ≥ 50 years with flat acromia than other RCTs.
Highlights
Rotator cuff disease and impingement syndrome are among the leading causes of shoulder pain and disability
The supraspinatus muscle in both men and women was most commonly affected by rotator cuff tears (RCTs), accounting for 73.6% of all tears
Tears in association with flat acromia were more prevalent among women
Summary
Rotator cuff disease and impingement syndrome are among the leading causes of shoulder pain and disability. The rotator cuff comprises a group of four muscles (the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, and teres minor) that maintain the stability and strength of the shoulder joint. Of these four muscles, the most commonly injured is the supraspinatus tendon [1]. The pathogenesis of a rotator cuff tear (RCT) is multifactorial; there are numerous risk factors for the injury, which are classified as either intrinsic or extrinsic. Extrinsic factors include subacromial impingement, stretch overload, the shape of the acromion, and the formation of acromial spurs [2]
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