The association between irregular greater tuberosities and rotator cuff tears: a sonographic study

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic imaging
• Shoulder biomechanics
• Musculoskeletal ultrasonography

Background:

• A potential link between greater tuberosity (GT) irregularities and rotator cuff tears (RCTs) has been hypothesized.
• No prior studies have formally investigated this association or its relationship with age.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between greater tuberosity irregularities, rotator cuff tears, and age.
• To determine if GT irregularities are reliable indicators of RCTs.

Main Methods:

• Sonographic evaluation of rotator cuffs and greater tuberosities in 77 asymptomatic individuals (154 shoulders).
• Analysis included individuals aged 30-80 years, assessing full- and partial-thickness rotator cuff tears.
• Statistical analysis employed Fisher's exact test, Student's t test, and logistic regression.

Main Results:

• Greater tuberosity irregularity was present in 90% of shoulders with rotator cuff tears versus 11% without tears (p < .001).
• Shoulders with irregular greater tuberosities had a 75% prevalence of rotator cuff tears.
• The association between greater tuberosity irregularity and rotator cuff tears remained statistically significant after accounting for age (p < .001).

Conclusions:

• Greater tuberosity irregularities identified via sonography are reliable indicators for assessing rotator cuff tears.
• The findings indicate that greater tuberosity irregularities are not solely a consequence of aging.