Shrinkage in the inferior pouch of the scapulohumeral joint is related to postoperative pain after rotator cuff repair: radiographic and arthrographic comparison between patients with postoperative pain and those without it.

Fluoroscopic and arthrographic studies were performed in 50 patients to determine whether pain in the shoulder after rotator cuff repair was related to the restricted movement of the glenohumeral joint. The 50 patients were divided into 2 groups: group A consisted of 22 patients with mild shoulder pain for more than 1 year postoperatively, and group B consisted of the remaining 28 patients without pain after surgery. The motion in the scapulothoracic articulation and that in the glenohumeral joint were analyzed separately by measurement of the scapular motion on radiographs taken under fluoroscopic control. The glenohumeral joint capacity was measured by arthrography. Changes in the glenoid tilting angle with shoulder elevation were significantly greater in group A than those in group B. Patients in group A demonstrated a significantly smaller inferior pouch on arthrograms than those in group B. The patients with shoulder pain after rotator cuff repair thus had reduced capacity and motion of the glenohumeral joint.