Glenohumeral articular cartilage changes in rotator cuff disease

This study aims to clarify the natural history of glenohumeral articular cartilage changes in rotator cuff disease. We assessed 33 cadaveric shoulder joints, examining the rotator cuffs for macroscopic tears and the articular surfaces for degenerative changes. Ten specimens had tears of the rotator cuff. Articular degenerative changes were noted in 23 joints. Articular cartilage degeneration was almost twice as frequent in the group with rotator cuff tears (10/10 shoulders) as in those without tears (13/23 shoulders). This difference was statistically significant. This strong correlation between tears of the rotator cuff and articular degeneration has not been documented previously, other than in the extreme situation of massive cuff tears and cuff-tear arthropathy. This is deserving of further study because it may have implications for surgical management. (J Shoulder Elbow Surg 2003;12:20-23)