Rotator cuff tears commonly cause shoulder pain and functional impairment, prompting surgical intervention such as miniopen and arthroscopic methods, each with distinct benefits. This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes and complications of these two approaches. Methods: A retrospective analysis was conducted on 165 patients who underwent rotator cuff repair using either arthroscopic-assisted mini-open or full arthroscopic approaches. Patient demographics, tear characteristics, clinical outcomes, and complications were assessed, with statistical analyses conducted to discern differences between the groups. Results: Among the patients, 74 (53.2%) received the mini-open approach, while 65 (46.8%) underwent arthroscopic repair, with a mean follow-up of 19.91 months. The mini-open group exhibited significantly higher postoperative American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) scores compared to the arthroscopic group (P=0.002). Additionally, the mini-open group demonstrated a more significant improvement in ASES scores from preoperative to postoperative assessments (P=0.001). However, the arthroscopic method had a significantly longer operative time (P<0.001). Complications, including anchor placement issues, frozen shoulder, infection, and re-rupture, occurred in 17.3% of patients overall. Re-rupture rates were 13.5% for mini-open and 6.2% for full arthroscopic repair, with no significant difference between the two methods (P=0.317). Conclusions: Both the mini-open and arthroscopic methods yielded favorable clinical outcomes for rotator cuff tear treatment, but the mini-open group exhibited superior results. Surgeons should consider patient characteristics, tear attributes, and surgical expertise when selecting the appropriate technique. Level of evidence: III.

The incidence of multivessel coronary artery ectasias (CAEs) among patients undergoing coronary artery angiography is very rare. All three coronary vessels can be affected by CAE, but most patients have an isolated arterial ectasia, commonly the right coronary artery. In this report we present two cases with inferior myocardial infarction that was likely caused by thrombotic occlusion of CAEs.
Angiography ; Coronary Artery Disease ; Coronary Vessels ; Dilatation, Pathologic ; Humans ; Incidence ; Inferior Wall Myocardial Infarction

INTRODUCTIONPercutaneous endovascular therapy is an accepted and preferred procedure for symptomatic subclavian artery disease. However, the technical feasibility and effectiveness of treating chronic total occlusion of the subclavian artery with this approach is uncertain. We aimed to evaluate the initial and mid-term results of endovascular therapy for patients with symptomatic chronic total occlusion of the left subclavian artery.

METHODSConsecutive patients who underwent balloon angioplasty and stenting for chronic total occlusion of the left subclavian artery between January 2010 and February 2014 were included.

RESULTSOverall, 16 patients (10 male, 6 female; mean age 56 ± 13 years) underwent balloon angioplasty and stenting for chronic total occlusion of the left subclavian artery. 6 (37.5%) had arm claudication, 8 (50.0%) had vertebrobasilar insufficiency and 2 (12.5%) had coronary steal. 18 balloon-expandable stents were implanted in 15 patients. Central luminal passage was not achieved in one patient because of the subintimal position of the guidewire (procedural success rate 93.8%). There were no procedure-related complications. Mean preprocedural and postprocedural systolic blood pressure differences between the upper extremities were 37 ± 13 (range 25-60) mmHg and 11 ± 9 (range 5-38) mmHg, respectively; the improvement was statistically significant. Outpatient follow-up revealed one asymptomatic restenosis at two years. The patency rate at two years was 93.3%.

CONCLUSIONBalloon angioplasty and stenting for chronic total occlusion of the left subclavian artery is safe and effective, with good acute success rate and mid-term patency. Prospective randomised studies on larger patient populations would provide more precise results.