J Korean Orthop Assoc.  2022 Dec;57(6):515-519. 10.4055/jkoa.2022.57.6.515.

Deltoid Muscle Rupture Combined with Massive Rotator Cuff Tear

• Oh YS
• Cho HL
• Jin HK
• Kim JM

• KMID: 2537066
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4055/jkoa.2022.57.6.515

Abstract

Atraumatic deltoid muscle rupture is a rare condition after open shoulder surgery or as a complication of repeated steroid injections. On the other hand, an attritional rupture associated with chronic massive rotator cuff tear can also occur. In a massive rotator cuff tear, elevation of the shoulder depends mainly on the function of the intact deltoid muscle, so deltoid muscle rupture causes serious disability with sudden pseudoparalysis. The authors report two unique patients with massive rotator cuff tear accompanied by a deltoid muscle rupture. Favorable clinical results were obtained by direct repair of the deltoid muscle and reverse shoulder arthroplasty under the same deltopectoral skin incision.

Keyword

massive rotator cuff tear; deltoid rupture; pseudoparalysis; reverse total shoulder arthroplasty