Surgical Anatomy Flashcards
(332 cards)
Common shoulder conditions
Dislocation/instability
Impingement - irritated inflamed rotator cuff muscle tendons as they pass through subacromial space beneath the acromion resulting in pain, weakness and loss of movement.
Torn rotator cuff
Osteoarthritis
Anatomy of the shoulder
Sternoclavicular joint Clavicle Acromioclavicular joint Acromion Subacromial bursa Supraspinatus tendon Glenohumoral joint Glenoid labrum - fibrocartilage around scapula cavity for head of humerus to sit Subscapularis tendon Subscapularis muscle
Anatomy of rotator cuff
Subscapularis Long head of bicep Supraspinatus Infraspinatus Teres minor
Age and diagnosis of shoulder
10-30yrs most likely instability (more common in athletes, or people with collagen diseases with unstable ligaments)
40-60 more likely impingement syndrome
60-80 likely full thickness cuff tears or osteoarthritis as collagen generation ability declines
Shoulder stability and the glenoid labrum
Fibrocartilage attached around margin of glenoid cavity in scapula for head of humerus to sit in
Increases surface area
Increases depth by up to 50%
Acts as an attachment for ligaments and reduced shock
Resection reduces resistance to translation by 20%
Dynamic factors for shoulder stability
More important than static factors - i.e. glenoid labrum
Joint compression
60% compressive load is needed to dislocate shoulder
Can allow voluntary instability
Pathology of dislocation
External rotation twist causes shoulder to spin out, posterior cuff muscles contract and humeral head rips ligaments in from and tears glenoid labrum making more likely to repeat injury as muscles are now slackened if not repaired
Bankart lesion - damage to glenoid labrum due to anterior shoulder dislocation
Define arthroscopy
Key hole surgery
Minimally invasive surgical technique used on joints
Several basic portals of entry:
Initial posterior
Secondary anterior
Subacromial space space via further posterolateral and lateral portals
Further portals for specific tasks in more complex procedures
Describe impingement syndrome
Rubbing of rotator cuff tendons on acromion process - with age surface becomes irregular instead of smooth
Stage 1 reversible oedema
Stage 2 fibrosis and tendinitis leading to further swelling and further fibrotic process
Stage 3 bone spurs and tendons ruptures and frays
Test for syndrome- Hawkins tests: patient adducts shoulder, internally rotates bringing greater tuberosity under the acromion process - if this is painful it’s likely impingement.
Treatment- injection technique into subacromial bursa in subacromial space or arthroscopic subacromial decompression (bone removal) to flatten and smooth the bone to reduce tendon fraying.
Labrum and tendons stitched together again
Rotator cuff tears
Can be asymptomatic in 15-23% cases as the whole shoulder isn’t needed to function, perhaps only limiting lifting arms above head which in elderly people not common anyway so it goes unnoticed. Deltoid compensates even in supraspinatus etc. Is torn. In ages younger than 59 is 4-13% but above 60 is 20-51%.
Only sudden or gradually larger tears are symptomatic.
25-50% asymptomatic tears become symptomatic in two years
Symptoms relate to tear progression.
Rotator cuff tear treatment
Non operative:
Analgesia - pain relief
Physiotherapy
Activity lifestyle changes
Injection of pain relief eg steroid (long term questionable), anaesthetic and cortisone etc.
Surgical:
Stitch torn cuff muscles together for healing onto greater tuberosity
Zig zag row of tendons, latch down.
No adducting for 2 weeks
If the whole shoulder needs to be opened rather than keyhole surgery patients don’t often recover well
Post op rehabilitation - 3-4 weeks in sling, active movements and physio from then on, resistive movements from 12 weeks ie build strength
Osteoarthritis
Degenerative disease of joints most commonly synovial leading to loss of cartilage and bone changes
Phase 1- Chondrocyte injury
Phase 2- early OA, chondrocyte proliferates and secretes inflammatory mediators, collagen, proteoglycans and proteases. All act together to remodel cartilaginous matrix and initiate secondary inflammatory changes
Phase 3- late OA, repetitive injury and chronic inflammation lead to chronic inflammation and chondrocyte drop out, marked loss of cartilage and extensive subchondral bone changes such as eburnation (very smooth), subchondral cysts from bone fractures or osteophytes.
Primary - occurs in elderly more common in women begins at the 4th decade of life and function declines
Begins usually as wear and tear with repeated minor trauma, hereditary Factors, obesity, ageing etc. Contribute to degeneration.
Secondary - may appear at any age is the result of previous wear and tear like a fracture, inflammation and dislocation beginning the degeneration.
Osteoarthritis and surgery
Can resurface head of joint or replace the entire joint removing pain stimulus
Osteotomy - removal of bone to allow realignment
Arthroplasty - replacement
Arthrodesis - surgical immobilisation by bone fusion
Surgical approaches to shoulder
Aims to access the shoulder joint capsule without damage to nerve of major vessels
3 principal routes:
Deltopectoral- for trauma eg broken humerus, arthroplasty (joint replacement in arthritis), long head of bicep rupture and sepsis
Anterolateral- cuff repair access to subacromial space for tendon attachments, long head of bicep ruptured, acromioclavicular joint decompression, subacromial joint decompression
Posterior - fractures, dislocations, glenoid injury, loose body, sepsis, scapular neck fracture.
Deltopectoral approach in surgery
Access shoulder from the anterior
Cut through skin and fat into the deltopectoral groove all the way to the choroid process
Very constant anatomy here
Remain lateral to tendons as vessels lie medial to this
Into shoulder capsule through subscapularis tendon and expose surface of head of humerus
Branches of circumflex artery at risk here
Anterolateral approach to shoulder surgery
Follow intramuscular plane
Split deltoid muscle
Expose long head of biceps in bicipital groove
Risk of injury to the auxiliary nerve as this wraps around the head of the humerus however only the anterior deltoid would be affected so this poses less risk than posterior entry
Relatively easy approach but deltopectoral used more commonly due to risk of nerve damage in this technique
Posterior approach to shoulder surgery
Intervenous plane followed Not very common approach due to many nerves and vessels present at risk such as auxiliary which would paralyse entire deltoid and musculocutaneous nerve Detach deltoid Expose posterior joint capsule Reflect infraspinatus
Broken humerus case study
Bad break in upper shaft of humerus treated with rod and screws spanning whole bone
Recurrent falls and loss of proximal hold from the rod results in acromial impingement from compression onto shoulder joint
Remove metalwork and replace with bridging plate, more stable
If still fails then bone grafts and compression plate used to repair damage
Brachial plexus roots, trunks, divisions, cords and nerves
C5 and C6 roots join and branch dorsal scapula nerve and contribute to long thoracic - superior trunk branches subclavian and suprascapula nerves- anterior superior division branch posterior superior nerve to join posterior middle division - lateral cord branches lateral pectoral nerve - musculocutaneous nerve terminates branch contributes to median nerve with C8 and T1
C7 root contributes to long thoracic nerve - middle trunk no branches - posterior middle division sends anterior middle branch to join anterior superior division and joined by posterior superior and inferior from superior and inferior divisions respectively - posterior cord branches upper subscapular, thoracodorsal and lower subscapular nerves - radial nerve branches auxiliary
C8 and T1 join - inferior trunk - anterior inferior division branches posterior inferior branch to posterior middle division- medial cord branches medial brachial cutaneous, medial pectoral and medial anterior brachial cutaneous - branch contribute to median nerve with C5 and 6 and terminates in ulnar nerve
Musculocutaneous nerve
Roots c5-7 supplies three muscles; coracobrachialis, biceps brachii and brachialis
Terminates in lateral cutaneous nerve to forearm
Upper plexus lesion results in low of elbow flexion and lateral forearm numbness can be caused by shoulder dislocations or anterior shoulder surgery
Radial nerve
Roots c5-t1 is the posterior cord from posterior divisions of all three trunks
Lies posterior to auxiliary artery in Axilla
Passes posteriorly via triangular interval with profunda brachi artery
Supplies triceps brachi, anconeus and brachioradialis above elbow is a forearm extensor below elbow supplying extensor carpi radialis, and EXR brevis, extensor carpi ulnaris, extensor digiti minimus, extensor digitorum, extensor indicis, abductor pollicis longus, extensor pollicis brevis, extensor pollicis longus
Sensory effects in wrist capsule through first webspace
Median nerve
Roots c6-t1 branches from medial and lateral cords
No branches in upper arm
Crosses brachial artery lateral to medial to medial boarder or biceps
Enters antecubital fossa medial to brachial artery and biceps tendon
Supplies palmaris longus, flexor carpi radialis, pronator teres, flexor digitorum superficialis and profundus I and II, flexor pollicis longus, pronator quadratus, abductor pollicis brevis, flexor pollicis brevis, opponens pollicis
Passes between two heads of pronator teres and travels through carpal tunnel giving recurrent motor branches to thenar eminence supplying LOAF muscles
Gives off palmar cutaneous branch 4 Cm before wrist
Ulnar nerve
Roots c8 and t1 from medial cord terminal branch
Stays medial in upper arm passes posterior to medial epicondyle within cubical tunnel
Enters medial forearm supplying flexor carpi ulnaris and ulnar half of flexor digitorum profundus
Pierces two heads of FCU travels deep to Flexor digitorum superficialis next to ulnar giving off palmar cutaneous branch
Enters hand via guyons canal and divides into deep motor and superficial sensory branches palmar cutaneous supplying medial palm.
Deep motor branch supplies intrinsic of hand except LOAF muscles (supplies by median)
Dorsal cutaneous branch 5cm proximal to wrist supplies dorsal hand provides digital sensation to the ulnar side for half the digits
LOAF muscles
Lateral two lumbricals
Opponens pollicis
Abductor pollicis brevis
Flexor pollicis brevis
All supplied by median nerve branches