Electromyographic analysis of rotator cuff muscles in patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy: A systematic review

The shoulder is inherently an unstable joint which heavily relies on the neuromuscular activation of the rotator cuff (RC) complex for stability during movement. Currently, there is no consensus regarding how the activity of RC muscles is affected among individuals with a RC tendinopathy (RCTe). This study reviewed the evidence of studies comparing the electromyographic (EMG) activity of any RC muscle of shoulders with a symptomatic RCTe to asymptomatic shoulders. Eight databases were searched. Data from 343 participants (201 symptomatic and 209 asymptomatic shoulders) were analyzed from 10 out of 402 included studies. Strong evidence for the infraspinatus and supraspinatus during isometric contractions and limited evidence for the supraspinatus and infraspinatus during isokinetic contractions suggest that the muscular activity is not altered among individuals with a RCTe during these types of contraction. Very limited evidence indicates reduced muscle activity for the infraspinatus and subscapularis in the presence of a RCTe during isotonic contractions, and no alterations for the supraspinatus or teres minor were identified. Lastly, conflicting to moderate evidence suggests alterations in RC muscle activity during unrestrained movements and swimming. These findings indicate that EMG deficits associated with a RCTe can best be appreciated during unrestrained movements.     

Effects of rotator cuff ruptures on the cellular and intracellular composition of the human supraspinatus muscle

Ruptures of the rotator cuff tendons of the human shoulder are a common incidence and lead to functional impairment of the four muscles connected to the cuff, entailing profound changes of their cellular tissue composition. Most importantly, such tendon tears lead to atrophy, fatty degeneration and fibrosis of the corresponding muscles. The muscle most commonly affected with such changes is the M. supraspinatus. The present study uses biopsy samples from the supraspinatus muscle of 12 elderly patients and 6 controls to examine the rupture-induced muscle change at both the cellular and the intracellular (ultrastructural) levels. Amounts of fatty tissue, connective tissue and muscle were assessed by light microscopy-based morphometry and stereology. Stereology of electron micrographs was employed to determine volume densities of muscle fibre mitochondria, myofibrils and intracellular lipid. Results demonstrate that the supraspinatus muscles of patients with a massive rupture contain significantly higher amounts not only of fatty tissue but also of intracellular lipid than those of control subjects. These patients further exhibit a major decrease in relative amounts of myofibrils, thus confirming that change of intracellular composition is a major component of the observed muscle degeneration. The results contribute to establish the true spectrum of supraspinatus muscle damage in humans induced by tendon rupture.     

Effects of different movement directions on electromyography recorded from the shoulder muscles while passing the target positions

PurposeWe compared electromyography (EMG) recorded from the shoulder joint muscles in the same position for different movement directions.MethodsFifteen healthy subjects participated. They performed shoulder elevation from 0° to 120°, shoulder depression from 120° to 0°, shoulder horizontal adduction from ?15° to 105°, and shoulder horizontal abduction from 105° to ?15°. The target positions were 90° shoulder elevation in the 0°, 30°, 60°, and 90° planes (0°, 30°, 60°, and 90° positions). EMG signals were recorded from the supraspinatus (SSP) muscle by fine-wire electrodes. EMG signals from the infraspinatus (ISP), anterior deltoid, middle deltoid, and posterior deltoid muscles were recorded using active surface electrodes.ResultsDuring elevation and horizontal abduction, the SSP showed significantly higher activity than that shown during depression and during horizontal adduction in the 0°, 30°, and 60° positions. During elevation, the ISP showed significantly higher activity than during depression and during horizontal adduction in the 90° position. During horizontal abduction, the ISP showed significantly higher activity than during depression in the 90° position.ConclusionsWhen the movement tasks were performed in different movement directions at the same speed, each muscle showed characteristic activity.     

关节镜下双排缝合桥固定与单排固定治疗肩袖全层撕裂的疗效对比及术后早期再撕裂的危险因素分析

摘要 目的：对比关节镜下双排缝合桥固定和单排固定治疗肩袖全层撕裂的疗效,并分析术后早期再撕裂的危险因素。方法：回顾性分析广州中医药大学附属北碚中医院2018年1月~2021年12月期间收治的200例肩袖全层撕裂患者的临床资料,根据手术方案的不同分为A组（n=97,接受单排固定治疗）和B组（n=103,接受双排缝合桥固定治疗）。对比两组的疼痛、肩关节功能情况、肩关节活动度及术后早期再撕裂发生率。采用单因素和多因素Logistic回归分析肩袖全层撕裂患者术后早期再撕裂的危险因素。结果：术后6个月,B组视觉疼痛模拟评分量表（VAS）评分低于A组,美国加州大学肩关节评分系统（UCLA）评分、美国肩肘外科医师学会（ASES）评分高于A组（P<0.05）。术后6个月,B组前屈、外展、体侧外旋角度大于A组（P<0.05）。B组的术后早期再撕裂总发生率低于A组（P<0.05）。术后早期再撕裂的发生与糖尿病史、撕裂大小、吸烟史、年龄、术前肌肉质量、性别、脂肪浸润、注射皮质类固醇有关（P<0.05）。多因素Logistic回归分析结果显示：年龄≥60岁、性别为男性、吸烟史、糖尿病史、撕裂大小为巨大型再撕裂、脂肪浸润、注射皮质类固醇是术后早期再撕裂发生的危险因素（P<0.05）。结论：关节镜下双排缝合桥固定治疗肩袖全层撕裂,可更好的减轻疼痛症状,改善关节功能和关节活动度。此外,糖尿病史、脂肪浸润、吸烟史、高龄、撕裂大小为巨大型再撕裂、男性、注射皮质类固醇等是肩袖全层撕裂患者术后早期再撕裂的危险因素。     

Stem cell therapy in the management of shoulder rotator cuff disorders

Rotator cuff tears are frequent shoulder problems that are usually dealt with surgical repair. Despite improved surgical techniques, the tendon-to-bone healing rate is unsatisfactory due to difficulties in restoring the delicate transitional tissue between bone and tendon. It is essential to understand the molecular mechanisms that determine this failure. The study of the molecular environment during embryogenesis and during normal healing after injury is key in devising strategies to get a successful repair. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) can differentiate into different mesodermal tissues and have a strong paracrine, anti-inflammatory, immunoregulatory and angiogenic potential. Stem cell therapy is thus a potentially effective therapy to enhance rotator cuff healing. Promising results have been reported with the use of autologous MSC of different origins in animal studies: they have shown to have better healing properties, increasing the amount of fibrocartilage formation and improving the orientation of fibrocartilage fibers with less immunologic response and reduced lymphocyte infiltration. All these changes lead to an increase in biomechanical strength. However, animal research is still inconclusive and more experimental studies are needed before human application. Future directions include expanded stem cell therapy in combination with growth factors or different scaffolds as well as new stem cell types and gene therapy.     

The position of the rotation center of the glenohumeral joint

To validate the assumption that the center of rotation in the glenohumeral (GH) joint can be described based on the geometry of the joint, two methods for calculation of the GH rotation center were compared. These are a kinematic estimation based on the calculation of instantaneous helical axes, and a geometric estimation based on a spherical fit through the surface of the glenoid. Four fresh cadaver arms were fixed at the scapula and fitted with electromagnetic sensors. Each arm was moved in different directions while at the same time the orientation of the humerus was recorded. Subsequently, each specimen was dissected and its glenoid and humeral head surfaces were digitized. Results indicate no differences between the methods. It is concluded that the method to estimate the GH center of rotation as the center of a sphere through the glenoid surface, with the radius of the humeral head, appears to be valid.     

肩关节镜下单排缝合技术治疗不同程度肩袖损伤的效果评估

目的:评估肩关节镜下单排缝合技术治疗不同程度肩袖损伤的效果。方法:选取2012年02月-2014年05月40例行肩关节镜下肩袖修补术患者,根据Gerber分型,其中中、小型肩袖损伤20例为一组(以下简称A组),大的、巨大肩袖损伤20例为一组(以下简称B组)。其中A组男12例,女8例,年龄37-77岁(平均年龄51岁),右侧15例,左侧5例;B组男10例,女10例,年龄40-78岁(平均年龄57岁),右侧18例,左侧2例。两组手术均采用金属缝合锚单排缝合技术进行肩袖修补,并采用ASES、Constant-Murley以及UCLA肩关节功能评分标准进行术前术后功能评估。结果:两组患者术后均获得随访,随访时间6-31个月(平均17.3个月)。通过术后肩关节活动度、三种肩关节功能评分与术前相比,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。A组各项评分优良率占为95%,B组优良率占85%。术后患者两组肩关节肿痛症状均明显好转,运动及生活功能恢复正常,肩关节活动度明显改善。A组较B组相比,有比较好的手术预期效果,且各项评分结果差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:缝合锚固件具有良好的相容性和适应性,固定可靠,具有高强度的优点,以获得稳定的早期固定。对于不同程度肩袖损伤,肩关节镜下单排缝合技术具有创伤小、恢复快、效果好等优势,配合重建后功能锻炼,肩关节功能能够恢复到令人满意的水平,但中小型肩袖撕裂的术后效果比较大的、巨大的肩袖撕裂好。     

In vivo pediatric shoulder muscle volumes and their relationship to 3D strength

In the pediatric shoulder, injury and pathology can disrupt the muscle force balance, resulting in severe functional losses. As little data exists pertaining to in vivo pediatric shoulder muscle function, musculoskeletal data are crucially needed to advance the treatment of pediatric shoulder pathology/injury. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to develop a pediatric database of in vivo volumes for the major shoulder muscles and correlate these volumes with maximum isometric flexion/extension, internal/external rotation, and abduction/adduction joint moments. A methodology was developed to derive 3D shoulder muscle volumes and to divide the deltoid into sub-units with unique torque producing capabilities, based on segmentation of three-dimensional magnetic resonance images. Eleven typically developing children/adolescents (4F/7M, 12.0±3.2 years, 150.8±16.7 cm, 49.2±16.4 kg) participated. Correlation and regression analyses were used to evaluate the relationship between volume and maximum, voluntary, isometric joint torques. The deltoid demonstrated the largest (30.4±1.2%) and the supraspinatus the smallest (4.8±0.5%) percent of the total summed volume of all six muscles evaluated. The anterior and posterior deltoid sections were 43.4±3.9% and 56.6±3.9% of the total deltoid volume. The percent volumes were highly consistent across subjects. Individual muscle volumes demonstrated moderate-high correlations with torque values (0.70–0.94, p<0.001). This study presents a comprehensive database documenting normative pediatric shoulder muscle volume. Using these data a clear relationship between shoulder volume and the torques they produce was established in all three rotational degrees-of-freedom. This study furthers the understanding of shoulder muscle function and serves as a foundation for evaluating shoulder injury/pathology in the pediatric/adolescent population.     

Comparing surface and indwelling electromyographic signals of the supraspinatus and infraspinatus muscles during submaximal axial humeral rotation

This study quantified the relationship between EMG signals recorded by surface and indwelling electrodes for the infraspinatus and supraspinatus during submaximal axial humeral rotation. Muscular activity was measured on 20 participants during 82 submaximal isometric internal or external axial humeral rotations in a range of postures and intensities. Equations to predict indwelling magnitudes from surface data were generated and the effects of humeral angle and intensity on this relationship were also evaluated.Supraspinatus surface data explained 72–76% of the variance in the indwelling data. Surface data overestimated indwelling data by up to 30% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC). Infraspinatus surface data explained 62–64% of the variance in the indwelling data, but overestimated by 72% and 400% MVC in external and internal axial humeral rotation trials, respectively. Humeral abduction angle and exertion intensity both altered the relationship between electrode types modestly (p < 0.01) for most muscles and exertions. Better variance explanation was achieved for these submaximal exertions than previously reported values for maximal exertions.These results help inform electrode type selection for the recording of supraspinatus and infraspinatus EMG. Caution is recommended when interpreting surface recordings as indicators of indwelling recordings for exertions where the muscle studied is not a primary mover.