Sara Sparavalo

Nova Scotia Health Authority | CDHA · Department of Orthopaedic Surgery

Purpose: To investigate the relationship between glenoid width and other morphologic parameters using three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) images of native shoulders, and to create a new measurement tool to assess glenoid defects in a Canadian population with established anterior shoulder instability. Methods: Forty-three glenoid CT s...

Objectives The primary purpose of this study was to determine the frequency and type of complications including subluxation, infection, hardware complication, graft/glenoid fracture, chondrolysis, neurovascular deficits and stiffness following an Arthroscopic Bankart Repair (ABR) or an Arthroscopic Anatomic Glenoid Reconstruction (AAGR) using a dis...

Background A subset of patients with femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) fail arthroscopic management. It is not clear which patients will fail surgical management; however, several surgical and patient factors, such as type of procedure and age, are thought to be important predictors. Purpose This time-to-event analysis with a 27-month follow-up a...

Purpose of Review A wide array of joint-preserving surgical techniques exists in the management of acetabular chondral defects (ACDs). The purpose of this review is to summarize the clinical outcomes of the recent biologics used to treat ACDs during hip arthroscopy. Recent Findings Increasing evidence is available for different biological solution...

Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare the learning curves and radiographic variables between screw and suture button fixation of the allograft for surgeons learning the all-arthroscopic anatomic glenoid reconstruction (AAGR) technique for anterior shoulder instability. We compared the surgical times of these two fixation techniques, as w...

Anterior shoulder instability and its treatment is a quickly evolving field of interest in orthopaedics, both for patients and for health-care systems. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of arthroscopic anatomic glenoid reconstruction (AAGR) compared with Bankart repair in the treatment of anterior shoulder instability in pa...

Objectives The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between glenoid width and other morphologic parameters using three-dimensional (3D) computed tomography (CT) images of native shoulders in hopes of generating a formula to predict glenoid width which will have utility in planning boney shoulder stabilization surgeries. Method...

Objectives Management of massive rotator cuff tears remains a challenge despite development of different surgical techniques. Bridging reconstruction was developed to improve clinical outcomes and to avoid the morbidity associated with tendon transfers and arthroplasty. To date, there have been no studies assessing the mid-term clinical outcome for...

Objectives Large or massive rotator cuff tears make up between 10-40% of all rotator cuff tears, yet there is no agreement on the best treatment. Previous studies have shown that acellular human dermal allograft (AHDA) can be used for bridging reconstruction with positive patient outcomes. The use of this surgical technique has not been extensively...

Objectives Revision surgeries after prior shoulder stabilization are known to have worse outcomes as compared to their primary counterparts. To date, no studies have looked at the utility of arthroscopic anatomic glenoid reconstruction (AAGR) as a revision surgery. The purpose of this study was to assess the clinical outcomes of primary versus revi...

Background Despite advances in surgical techniques, the use of maximal repair to treat large or massive rotator cuff tears results in a high retear rate postoperatively. Currently, no randomized controlled trials have compared the outcomes of maximal repair with interposition dermal allograft bridging reconstruction. Hypothesis We hypothesized tha...

Purpose: In this study, we aimed to evaluate the medium-term clinical outcomes for patients who underwent bridging reconstruction. Methods: A retrospective chart review was conducted for all the patients who underwent bridging reconstruction between 2010 and 2018. Patients who were missing either pre- or post-operative outcome scores were exclud...

Bony lesions are highly prevalent in anterior shoulder instability and can be a significant cause of failure of stabilisation procedures if they are not adequately addressed. The glenoid track concept describes the dynamic interaction between the humeral head and glenoid defects in anterior shoulder instability. It has been beneficial for understan...

Patients with recurrent anterior shoulder instability often have glenoid bone loss present in addition to soft tissue pathologies. It is known that patients with significant glenoid bone loss are best treated with a boney augmentation procedure as opposed to a soft tissue Bankart repair because of the high rate of recurrent instability that results...

Background: Femoroacetabular impingement (FAI) is a condition known to cause hip pain in young adults. Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of the surgical correction of FAI via arthroscopic osteochondroplasty with or without labral repair compared with arthroscopic lavage of the hip joint with or without labral repair. Study design: Randomized c...

Positional tendons and energy-storing tendons from the forelimbs of quadrupeds are an excellent model to assess mechanical/mechanopathological differences between two functionally distinct classes of ten- dons. The common digital extensor (CDE, positional) and superficial digital flexor (SDF, energy-storing) are ana- tomically proximate, but experi...