Tears of the rotator cuff of the shoulder associated with pathological changes in the acromion. A study in cadavera

• Published in: Journal of bone and joint surgery. American volume Vol. 70; no. 8; pp. 1224 - 1230
• Main Authors: Ozaki, J, Fujimoto, S, Nakagawa, Y, Masuhara, K, Tamai, S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Boston, MA Copyright by The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery, Incorporated 01-09-1988; Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery Incorporated
• Subjects: Acromion - pathology; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Biological and medical sciences; Bursa, Synovial - injuries; Cadaver; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Female; Humans; Inflammatory joint diseases; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Scapula - pathology; Shoulder Joint - injuries; Shoulder Joint - pathology; Tendon Injuries - pathology; Human; Autopsy; Acromion; Etiopathogenesis; Tissue rupture; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Non articular rheumatism; Upper limb; Rotator cuff
• ISSN: 0021-9355; 1535-1386
• DOI: 10.2106/00004623-198870080-00015

In 200 shoulders from cadavera, we studied the pathological changes on the undersurface of the acromion as associated with tears of the rotator cuff. After radiographic and histological analysis, we found that in the specimens that had a partial tear of the cuff the undersurface of the acromion was almost intact. Although a lesion in the anterior one-third of the undersurface of the acromion was always associated with a tear of the cuff, the reverse was not true. We concluded that the pathogenesis of most of the tears probably is a degenerative process.