Shoulder arthroscopy

Abstract

The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery. British volumeVol. 87-B, No. 1 Book ReviewsFree AccessShoulder arthroscopy By G. Gartsman, Pp 283. Philadelphia: W. B. Saunders Co, 2003. ISBN: 0-72169-488-8. £130.T. BunkerT. BunkerSearch for more papers by this authorPublished Online:1 Jan 2005https://doi.org/10.1302/0301-620X.87B1.15808AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsDownload CitationsTrack CitationsPermissionsAdd to Favourites ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail This is the book which every shoulder surgeon has been eagerly awaiting. Unbelievably, ten years have passed since Drs Gartsman and Ellman wrote “Arthroscopic shoulder surgery and related procedures”, an instant classic and one of the finest books to balance the merits of arthroscopic and open shoulder surgery. During that decade arthroscopy has advanced rapidly. No serious shoulder surgeon would now undertake an open acromioplasty, and the results of arthroscopic Bankart repairs and even arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs are improving. Dr Gartsman, a past President of the American Shoulder and Elbow Society, has led these radical developments. Not only has he pioneered complex arthroscopic procedures, but he has also audited his results and published critical articles on all aspects of arthroscopic shoulder surgery. His paper in the JBJS [Am] (1998; 80-A: 832) showed that in 1994 he was performing 74 arthroscopic rotator cuff tears each year with good results and no complications. Now this evidence has been assembled in the new book “Shoulder arthroscopy” published by W. B. Saunders.This is the book for shoulder surgeons who are comfortable with simple arthroscopic surgery such as arthroscopic decompression, but who also wish to make the transition to reconstructive surgery. As Dr Gartsman states “if you perform fewer than 20 to 30 shoulder procedures per year..... I would not advise investing the time and effort to do these few procedures arthroscopically”. The corollary is self-evident. This book transmits Dr Gartman’s arthroscopic techniques and skills, which are broken down into easy to follow steps. It is also a beautifully produced book with many highquality arthroscopic photographs, and an accompanying DVD.In the first of three parts, suture management, knot tying, instruments, set-up and normal arthroscopy are covered. In section two, Dr Gartsman’s views on dislocation are conveyed to the reader as are the surgical techniques, which include rotator interval closure and posterior suture repair. This is often difficult to achieve in a book on rapidly evolving techniques, given the delay from publication. In this section three more chapters are ground-breaking: the biceps, peri-articular cysts and, a favourite of mine, arthroscopic release for frozen shoulder.Many surgeons will buy this book solely for the next hundred pages, which are devoted to arthroscopic surgery of the rotator cuff. This section is richly illustrated and based upon evidence. It is written by a surgeon who not only talks about surgery but also performs it. Dr Gartsman conveys his message well. He writes carefully, advocating his strongly-held views in a manner that can cause no offence. For the shoulder surgeon making the transition to arthroscopic work it is mandatory reading. You will find two decades of Dr Gartsman’s life work beautifully produced, superbly illustrated and with an accompanying DVD, all for £130.FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails Vol. 87-B, No. 1 Metrics Downloaded 206 times History Published online 1 January 2005 Published in print 1 January 2005 InformationCopyright © 2005, The British Editorial Society of Bone and Joint Surgery: All rights reservedPDF download