Restoring the Anatomic Tension Relationship of the Long Head of the Biceps During Tenodesis

Long Head of the Biceps Subpectoral Tenodesis Anatomic vs. Traditional Tensioning Technique During Rotator Cuff Repair: A Randomized Prospective Trial

The goal of this clinical trial is to determine the clinical impact of restoring the anatomic-tension relationship of the long head of the biceps (LHB) when performing a biceps tenotomy and tenodesis. The main question it aims to answer is whether anatomic tensioning will improve functional outcome scores and decrease postoperative complications. The investigators hypothesize that through a standardized method of anatomically tensioning the LHB tendon during tenodesis, patient outcomes will improve. Researchers will compare these outcomes to a control group receiving the traditional tensioning technique. Participants will be randomized to either the anatomic tensioning treatment group or the traditional tensioning control group.

The long head of the biceps can be a source of anterior shoulder pain that is primarily due to inflammation or instability of the long head of the biceps (LHB) tendon . Patients that fail non-operative management become candidates for biceps tenotomy and tenodesis. Currently, there is no universal protocol or gold standard for how the LHB tendon is tensioned. At the investigators' institution, the LHB is tensioned based on individual surgeon feel for the correct tensioning. The purpose of this study is to conduct a randomized, single-blinded prospective study comparing patients with the current regimen of bicep tensioning vs. utilizing a standardized method of anatomically tensioning the LHB tendon. The primary aim of assessing change in the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon (ASES) scores from baseline to post-surgery between the control and intervention groups will be assessed using a student's t-test. In addition, longitudinal mixed effects models will be used to estimate changes in ASES scores, over all time-points using a random effect for surgeon. Other relevant patient characteristics such as age, sex, and Charlson score will be included to explore the adjusted relationship of the intervention and outcomes over time. A secondary aim of this study is to collect specific measurements of the myotendinous junction of the LHB tendon to potentially establish if any characteristics predispose patients to developing pathology of the LHB tendon.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients at least 18 years of age undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery
• Operations that occur at Loyola University Medical Center (Maywood, IL), Loyola Ambulatory Surgery Center (Maywood, IL), or Gottlieb Memorial Hospital

Exclusion Criteria:

• Previous shoulder surgery involving the long head of the biceps tendon
• Younger than 18 years old
• Current pregnancy. As per standard protocol with all surgeries, a urine pregnancy test is performed prior to surgery. If positive, the surgery will be cancelled and the patient will be excluded from the research study.