Arthroscopic-Assisted Lower Trapezius Tendon Transfer for Massive Irreparable Posterosuperior Rotator Cuff Tears Using an Achilles Tendon-Bone Allograft

Eugene T Ek; Timothy Lording; Andrew P McBride

doi:10.1016/j.eats.2020.07.018

Arthroscopic-Assisted Lower Trapezius Tendon Transfer for Massive Irreparable Posterosuperior Rotator Cuff Tears Using an Achilles Tendon-Bone Allograft

Arthrosc Tech. 2020 Nov 20;9(11):e1759-e1766. doi: 10.1016/j.eats.2020.07.018. eCollection 2020 Nov.

Authors

Eugene T Ek^{1

2}, Timothy Lording¹, Andrew P McBride¹

Affiliations

¹ Melbourne Orthopaedic Group, Windsor, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
² Department of Surgery, Monash Medical Centre, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia.

Abstract

The lower trapezius tendon (LTT) transfer has been described for the management of irreparable posterosuperior rotator cuff tears. Here we describe our technique of an arthroscopic-assisted LTT transfer using an Achilles tendon-bone allograft. This technique allows for augmentation of the tendon transfer using an Achilles tendon allograft while also keeping the calcaneal bone insertion, which allows for added bony fixation into the humerus and also minimizing the risk of the "killer turn" phenomenon at the aperture of fixation.