"The color test": An intraoperative staining test for joint-side rotator cuff tearing and its extension

The joint-side rotator cuff tear and its extension are usually diagnosed by arthrography. However, it is not always possible at surgery to determine the exact site and extension of the tear when one is viewing the apparently intact bursal floor. "The color test," an intraoperative staining test with indigo carmine solution or methylene blue solution, was devised and has been helpful in the identification of the tear in 11 (65%) of 17 joint-side rotator cuff tears. The test was also useful in detecting concomitant intratendinous lamination in pinhole and very small (less than 1 cm) full-thickness tears. The tendon sheath for the long head of the biceps brachii muscle and the rotator interval are two sites that are normally stained. They should serve for surgical orientation. An 18-month follow-up indicates that injecting the dyes into the joints of Japanese monkeys appears to be harmless.