Shrinkage in the inferior pouch of the scapulohumeral joint is related to postoperative pain after rotator cuff repair: Radiographic and arthrographic comparison between patients with postoperative pain and those without it

Fluoroscopic and arthrographic studies were performed in 50 patients to det ermine whether pain in the shoulder after rotator cuff repair was related t o the restricted movement of the glenohumeral joint. The 50 patients were d ivided into 2 groups: group A consisted of 22 patients with mild shoulder p ain for more than 1 year postoperatively, and group B consisted of the rema ining 28 patients without pain of. ter surgery. The motion in the scapuloth oracic articulation and that in the glenohumeral joint were analyzed separa tely by measurement of the scapular motion on radiographs taken under fluor oscopic control. The glenohumeral joint capacity was measured by arthrograp hy. Changes in the glenoid tilting angle with shoulder elevation were signi ficantly greater in group A than those in group B. Patients in group A demo nstrated a significantly smaller inferior pouch on arthrograms than those i n group B, The patients with shoulder pain after rotator cuff repair thus h ad reduced capacity and motion of the glenohumeral joint.