Keyes examined 73 unselected dissecting-room cadavers to determine the true prevalence of supraspinatus tendon rupture and characterize the morphology and age distribution of these lesions, using a strict definition requiring full-thickness perforation with gross bursa-to-joint communication.
When an older patient presents with shoulder pain and imaging shows a supraspinatus tear, remember that Keyes established in 1933 that nearly one-third of people over 50 harbor these tears at death — correlation with symptoms, not anatomy alone, should drive your management decision.
Keyes examined 73 unselected dissecting-room cadavers to determine the true prevalence of supraspinatus tendon rupture and characterize the morphology and age distribution of these lesions, using a strict definition requiring full-thickness perforation with gross bursa-to-joint communication.
When an older patient presents with shoulder pain and imaging shows a supraspinatus tear, remember that Keyes established in 1933 that nearly one-third of people over 50 harbor these tears at death — correlation with symptoms, not anatomy alone, should drive your management decision.