Deltoid and supraspinatus muscle pressures following various arthroscopic shoulder procedures

Twenty-four consecutive patients were monitored for pressure elevations in the supraspinatus and deltoid muscles following various arthroscopic shoulder procedures. All patients had clinically swollen shoulders and mild pressure elevations in both muscles immediately following each procedure. Muscle pressure elevations seen immediately postoperatively were clinically insignificant, as no ill effects were seen at follow-up. The extreme clinical swelling following various arthroscopic shoulder procedures appears to be related to the type of procedure performed, but more directly to the amount of irrigation fluid required.