Search Results (3)

Background: The morphological type of the acromion may play a role in the etiopathogenesis of various pathologies, such as shoulder impingement syndrome and rotator cuff disorders. Therefore, it is important to determine the acromion’s morphological types accurately and quickly. In this study, it was aimed to detect the acromion shape, which is one of the etiological causes of chronic shoulder disorders that may cause a decrease in work capacity and quality of life, on shoulder MR images by developing a new model for image retrieval in Content-Based Image Retrieval (CBIR) systems. Methods: Image retrieval was performed in CBIR systems using Convolutional Neural Network (CNN) architectures and textural-based methods as the basis. Feature maps of the images were extracted to measure image similarities in the developed CBIR system. For feature map extraction, feature extraction was performed with Histogram of Gradient (HOG), Local Binary Pattern (LBP), Darknet53, and Densenet201 architectures, and the Minimum Redundancy Maximum Relevance (mRMR) feature selection method was used for feature selection. The feature maps obtained after the dimensionality reduction process were combined. The Euclidean distance and Peak Signal-to-Noise Ratio (PSNR) were used as similarity measurement methods. Image retrieval was performed using features obtained from CNN architectures and textural-based models to compare the performance of the proposed method. Results: The highest Average Precision (AP) value was reached in the PSNR similarity measurement method with 0.76 in the proposed model. Conclusions: The proposed model is promising for accurately and rapidly determining morphological types of the acromion, thus aiding in the diagnosis and understanding of chronic shoulder disorders. Full article

Background: To date, it is not well known which systemic pathologies most frequently afflict patients with rotator cuff tear (RCT) and whether the coexistence of two or more pathologies can affect the lesion size. Therefore, we analyzed our database relative to a large group of patients who recently underwent rotator cuff repair. Methods: A total of 527 patients with full-thickness RCT were enrolled. For each patient, we checked the presence of at least one of diabetes, venous system diseases, cardiovascular diseases, hypercholesterolemia, blood hypertension, thyroid diseases, and a smoking habit. Patients were subdivided according to risk factors into five groups, representing those who had zero, one, two, three, and four or more risk factors, respectively. Statistical analysis was performed. Results: In total, 37% of our patients had no risk factors; 28% had one risk factor (arterial hypertension, smoking habit, and hypercholesterolemia were the most frequent); 23% had two risk factors (the hypertension/hypercholesterolemia association was the most frequent); and 8% suffered from three pathologies (the diabetes/arterial hypertension/hypercholesterolemia association was the most frequent). Comparing the cuff tear severity in patients without and with at least one risk factor, we observed that tear size increased in those with at least one risk factor. Conclusions: A total of 63% of patients with rotator cuff tears were either smokers and/or had at least one pathology capable of altering the peripheral microcirculation. Hypertension and hypercholesterolemia were the most frequent. Tear severity significantly increased with the presence of at least one risk factor. Full article

Background and Objectives: Studies on rotator cuff tears (RCT) in patients younger than 50 years have focused on the post-operative outcomes. Little is known about cuff tear etiopathogenesis, although it is a common belief that most tears are due to trauma. We have retrospectively verified the prevalence of medical conditions, whose role in tendon degeneration development have been widely demonstrated, in a group of patients younger than 50 years with postero-superior RCT. Materials and Methods: 64 patients [44M-20F; mean age (SD): 46.90 (2.80)] were enrolled. Personal data, BMI, smoking habit, diseases (diabetes, arterial hypertension, hypercholesterolaemia, thyroid diseases, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) were registered. The possible triggering cause and the affected side and tear dimensions were recorded, and statistical analysis was then performed. Results: 75% of patients had one or more diseases and/or a smoking habit for more than 10 years. In the remaining 25%, only four patients referred had had a traumatic event, while in the other eight patients, both medical condition and trauma were registered. The presence of two or more diseases did not affect RCT size. Conclusions: In our series, three quarters of patients with RCT had a smoking habit or medical conditions predisposing them to a tendon tear; therefore, the role of trauma in RCT onset in patients younger than 50 years is markedly resized. It is plausible that in the remaining 25%, RCT may be due to trauma or to genetic or acquired degeneration. Level of Evidence: IV Full article