THE SHOULDER. ED. 2, VOLS. 1 AND 2. Edited by Charles A. Rockwood, Jr., and Frederick A. Matsen, III. Philadelphia, W. B. Saunders, 1998. $225.00, 1341 pp.

Abstract

Rockwood and Matsen, along with associate editors Michael A. Wirth and Douglas T. Harryman, II, have appropriately updated the 1990 edition. This second edition consists of two volumes and twenty-eight chapters, by sixty contributors. The aesthetics and quality of the volumes are, as expected of W. B. Saunders, first-rate. The additional feature of a companion CD-ROM provides dynamic visualization of the more complex operative interventions involving the acromioclavicular joint, prosthetic replacement, and glenohumeral instability. The authors have focused on practical approaches to improving the patient's quality of life and, in the process, they have synthesized an enormous amount of information. There is an extensive bibliography; several chapters have more than 400 references. The text covers all of the pertinent issues related to the shoulder, including anatomy and biomechanics; evaluation; anatomical structures such as the scapula, clavicle, and rotator cuff; specific conditions and injuries such as fractures, arthritis, neurological problems, tumors, infections, and muscle tears; amputations; sports-related and occupational injuries; and problems in children. It concludes with a unique chapter on “Effectiveness Evaluation and the Shoulder.” The chapters are well organized. Each begins with an introductory historical review (sometimes dating to antiquity), followed by a discussion of clinical …