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Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty pp 81–86Cite as

Cuff Tear Arthropathy: Classifications

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Abstract

Rotator cuff tear arthropathy is a term coined by Neer in 1983, and it encompasses a broad spectrum of pathology. All patients with rotator cuff tear arthropathy possess at least three critical features: (1) rotator cuff insufficiency, (2) degenerative changes of the glenohumeral joint, and (3) superior migration of the humeral head.

The glenohumeral joint lacks substantial intrinsic osseous restraints, and thus the joint’s stability relies heavily on the rotator cuff’s ability to center the humeral head within the glenoid fossa. This key concept has been coined concavity-compression. Through this mechanism, the shoulder musculature—including the rotator cuff—becomes the primary stabilizer of the glenohumeral joint as the arm moves through positions in which the capsule ligamentous structures are lax.

Patients with a massive rotator cuff tear may present with a clinical pattern of combined loss of active elevation and external rotation (CLEER). Their daily activities may be reversely limited due to a muscle imbalance in both the horizontal and vertical planes.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, Celio Military Hospital, Rome, Italy

    Vincenzo Campagna

  2. Department of Anatomy, Istology, Forensic Medicine, Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Sapienza, University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Vittorio Candela

  3. Polo Pontino, Latina, Italy

    Vittorio Candela

  4. Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Stefano Gumina

Authors
  1. Vincenzo Campagna
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  2. Vittorio Candela
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  3. Stefano Gumina
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy

    Stefano Gumina

  2. Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology, University of East Piedmont, Hospital “Maggiore della Carità”, Novara, Italy

    Federico Alberto Grassi

  3. Department of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, Ospedale Cervesi di Cattolica, Cattolica, Italy

    Paolo Paladini

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Campagna, V., Candela, V., Gumina, S. (2019). Cuff Tear Arthropathy: Classifications. In: Gumina, S., Grassi, F., Paladini, P. (eds) Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97743-0_6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-97743-0_6

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  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-97742-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-97743-0

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