Objective:To investigate the effect of arthroscopic superior capsular reconstruction (ASCR) of irreparable massive rotator cuff tears (RCTs) using the "Sandwich" patch graft (autologous fascia lata + LARS artificial ligament + autologous fascia lata).Methods:The patients with irreparable massive RCTs who underwent ASCR by using "Sandwich" patch graft were retrospectively evaluated between December 2016 and October 2018. All cases were followed up more than two years. The pain and function of the shoulder were evaluated by visual analogue scale (VAS), active forward elevation (aFE), American Shoulder & Elbow Surgeons score (ASES), University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) score, and Constant-Murley score. The acromiohumeral distance (AHD) and patch healing were assessed by shoulder X-ray and MRI scan.Results:Twenty-nine patients (12 males and 17 females) were enrolled for final analysis. The average age was 66.0±5.88 years (range 55-77 years). The average length of follow-up was 35.3±7.20 months (range 24-46 months). The tendon of the subscapularis muscle was intacted in 13 cases and repairable in 16 cases. All patients' teres minor muscles were intact and the function of deltoid muscles was all complete. Based on Hamada classification of massive RCTs, 11 cases with type 2, 14 cases with type 3, and 4 cases with type 4. At the last follow-up visit, the AFE of the surgical shoulder was 158.45°±23.87° (range 70°-180°), which was significantly higher than before the surgery 92.59°±45.99° (range 20°-160°, t=6.190, P<0.001). The ASES score was 92.92±9.08 (range 64-100), UCLA score was 31.62±3.93 (range 19-35), and Constant-Murley score was 85.8±8.44 (range 68-94), which were higher than those before the operation 30.69±12.99 (range 68-95), 10.93±3.43 (range 4-17), 39.62±12.68 (range 14-55). There were significant differences between them, respectively ( t=21.145, P<0.001; t=21.348, P<0.001; t=16.333, P<0.001). The VAS was 0.41±0.57 (range 0-2 points), which was significantly lower than that of 4.90±1.05 (range 3-7 points) before operation ( t=20.267, P<0.001). At the last follow-up visit, MRI showed that the AHD increased from 3.31±1.57 mm (range 1.1-6.6 mm) to 6.94±1.76 mm (range 3.0-10.8 mm) significantly ( t=12.195, P<0.001). Radiological outcomes were evaluated according to MRI, the total healing rate was 89.7% (26/29). There were two cases of complete tears, which including one case of infection and 1 partial tears. Conclusion:ASCR of irreparable massive RCTs using "Sandwich" patch graft showed the high healing rate in the short-term follow-up, which is possible to restore the shoulder functions early. It is an effective method for the treatment of irreparable massive RCTs.

Massive rotator cuff tears, with mean tendon tears>5 cm or involving two or more tendons in a tear, often result in shoulder pain, stiffness, limited range of motion and impaired function, significantly impacting the patients′ quality of life. At present, massive rotator cuff tears are mainly treated surgically with joint cleaning, rotator cuff repair and patch graft repair, etc, but the problems such as tendon end retraction and high rotator tension after surgical repair lead to high postoperative retear rate. The autogenous long head of biceps tendon (LHBT), as an autograft which has the advantages of high accessibility and low cost, has been employed in the repair of massive rotator cuff tears. However, there is still controversy in the choice of specific surgical method. To this end, the authors reviewed the research progress on the application of LHBT in the repair of massive rotator cuff tears, aiming to provide reference for its clinical treatment.

Objective: To investigate the clinical outcomes of arthroscopic bridging reconstruction of irreparable massive rotator cuff tears using autogenous fascia lata. Methods: From July 2015 to July 2017, a total of 10 cases (4 male and 6 female) who were treated with arthroscopic bridging reconstruction for irreparable massive rotator cuff tears using autogenous fascia lata were retrospectively analyzed. The age before surgery was 61.3±2.9 years (range 57-67 years). There were 7 patients with right shoulders and 3 with left shoulders. The dominate sides were involved in 7 cases. The trauma history was documented in 2 shoulders. The duration of preoperative symptoms was 14.0±13.5 months (1-48 months). The case with revision surgery was not included. The patients were examined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to evaluate the healing of fascia lata patch bridging in the joint at one week, six months, one year and two years after operation. The motion range of shoulder and the clinical scores, including visual analogue scale (VAS), University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) score, Constant-Murley score and American Shoulder & Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, were measured before surgery and at follow-up duration. Results: All cases were reconstructed the horizontal couple. No perioperative complication was occurred and all surgery were completed safely and successfully. At the end of two years, the score of ASES was 92.2±3.5 (range 88.3-98.3), UCLA 31.6±2.0 (range 28-34), Constant-Murley 85.2±5.4 (range 78-93) with significant difference (t=11.254, P=0.000; t=12.111, P=0.000; t=8.948, P=0.00) comparing with that before surgery. The VAS pain score was 0.6±0.5 (range 0-1) which was significantly lower than that preoperatively (t=11.326, P=0.000). At 2 years after operation, MRI shows that fascia lata patches healed well in 9 patients. However, one case was with re-tear and patch absorption. The range of motion of shoulder was significantly improved in all patients but with different degrees of weakness (3-4). Conclusion Arthroscopic bridging reconstruction using autogenous fascia lata could effectively improve shoulder function in patients with irreparable massive rotator cuff tears. The autogenous fascia lata patch can heal with the help of rotator cuff tissue through bridging reconstruction.

Objective:To compare the efficacy of superior capsular reconstruction using a "sandwich" patch graft versus a fascia lata autograft in the treatment of irreparable massive rotator cuff tears (IMRCTs).Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on 50 patients with IMRCTs who underwent superior capsule reconstruction at Ningbo Medical Center Li Huili Hospital from January 2019 to May 2021. Patients were categorized into two groups based on the type of graft used: the "sandwich" group (27 patients), utilizing a "sandwich" patch graft, and the fascia lata group (23 patients), utilizing a simple fascia lata graft. The "sandwich" group consisted of 10 males and 17 females with a mean age of 65.6±5.7 years (range, 55-76 years), including 6 cases on the left shoulder and 21 cases on the right shoulder. The fascia lata group comprised 10 males and 13 females with a mean age of 65.5±4.2 years (range, 56-72 years), including 4 cases on the left shoulder and 19 cases on the right shoulder. Clinical outcomes were assessed preoperatively and at 1 week, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years postoperatively using the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) score, and the visual analogue scale (VAS) for pain and shoulder activity. Imaging outcomes, including acromio humeral distance (AHD) and graft status, were evaluated via radiographs or MRI.Results:The follow-up duration was 40.0±8.4 months (range, 26-54 months) for all patients. The "sandwich" group demonstrated significantly better outcomes compared to the fascia lata group. Improvements were noted in the ASES score (90.1±8.7 vs. 66.8±22.0), ASES score improvement (58.0±11.8 vs. 36.7±24.2), UCLA score (31.0±3.1 vs. 23.0±8.7), UCLA score improvement (20.1±4.5 vs. 12.7±9.2), active elevation (160.0°±21.3° vs. 124.8°±37.4°), active elevation improvement (70.2°±31.4° vs. 33.7°±42.4°), external rotation (35.0°±9.0° vs. 29.0°±6.9°), external rotation improvement (11.3°±7.3° vs. 7.2°±10.4°), AHD (6.4±1.5 mm vs. 4.4±1.0 mm), AHD improvement (3.0±1.6 mm vs. 1.5±1.0 mm), the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). The graft healing rate of the "sandwich" group reached 93%, which was higher than the 74% in the fascia lata group, but the difference was not statistically significant (χ 2=1.984, P=0.159). One case of subcutaneous hematoma was reported in the fascia lata group postoperatively. Additionally, two patients in the fascia lata group reported mild thigh discomfort at the last follow-up, which did not impair walking. No cases of infection, joint stiffness, or vascular or nerve damage were observed. Conclusion:Superior capsular reconstruction using a "sandwich" patch graft significantly enhances the healing rate of grafts and short-term postoperative clinical outcomes in patients with irreparable massive rotator cuff tears.