Table 3.

Complications and failures

Authors (year)	Complications of surgery
Burnier et al. (2019)	-1 case of recurrent contracture (pER less than −20° at 3 months); patients underwent repeat anterior release. -7 cases of weak ER; patients underwent additional surgery for transfer of the latissimus dorsi -1 case of weak ABD; patient underwent additional surgery for transfer of the latissimus dorsi
Cohen et al. (2010)	-6 patients had surgical revisions; 2 patients were from the non-tendon transfer group of the study with one receiving LT and TM transfers while the other received the same tendon transfer procedure along with humeral derotation osteotomy; 4 other patients had humeral derotation osteotomies
Greenhill et al. (2019)	-35.7% of patients in the cLTT group and 14.3% in the iTMTT group (p=0.378) had a loss of midline function defined by a modified Mallet IR score that decrease to less than 3; this totalled to 9 cases of loss of midline function. -4 patients underwent subsequent humeral osteotomies.
Kirkos et al. (2005)	-1 case experienced hypoaesthesia in the area of the superficial radial nerve.
Mehlman et al. (2011)	-4 patients had a decrease in shoulder IR. -2 patients required a repeat release procedure for persistent IR contracture.
Pearl et al. (2006)	-1 patient failed to achieve ≥45° passive ER at the time of surgery and this resulted in an open release through an extended deltopectoral approach to release the anterior capsule. -4 patients required a repeat arthroscopic release after not retaining the range of ER. -1 patient lost 40° of active elevation; thought to be due to partial axillary nerve injury or another mechanical compromise of the shoulder from loss of subscapular function. -In the isolated release group, the average loss of IR was 37°, and in the release and transfer group the average loss of IR was 42°. -4 patients had negative post-op IR values in 90° of shoulder abduction. -1 patient who was lost to follow-up had a repeat contracture.
Ruyer et al. (2018)	-No perioperative complications. -7 patients had poor outcomes in terms of active ER in ADD. -1 patient had regional pain syndrome with stiffness of the shoulder at 6 months. -2 patients had recurrence of shoulder contracture. -4 patients had negative active anterior elevation. -2 patients had decreased aggregate Mallet scores at 2 years post-op. -1 patient saw no change in Mallet score at 2 years post-op. -1 patient was excluded from the study as they required a secondary arthroscopic release during the FU period.
Sarac et al. (2020)	-4 patients developed Keloid scars; 1 was surgically corrected. -1 patients had transient post-op ulnar nerve compression from casting. -4 patients following tendon transfer had ER contractures that limited IR after; only 2 of these patients require additional surgery that included release of the posterior capsule and the transferred latissimus dorsi and teres major tendons.
Shah et al. (2019)	-2 patients developed subcutaneous hematomas along the entry site for the periosteal elevator, but resolved spontaneously. -1 patient experienced inadvertent penetration of the scapular body in surgery. -4 patients in the anterior release procedure group developed ER contracture; 2 of these patients required internal rotation humeral osteotomy.
Van Heest et al. (2010)	-2 patients experienced superficial skin irritations associated with cast immobilization. -1 patient experienced partial radial nerve motor palsy that resolved within 4 weeks without treatment.
Vuillermin et al. (2020)	-2 patients required secondary external rotational osteotomies after 2-year FU.

ER, external rotation; IR, internal rotation; LT, latissimus dorsi; TM, teres major; FU, follow-up; cLTT, conjoint latissimus dorsi and teres major tendon transfer; iTMTT, isolated teres major tendon transfer; ABD, abduction; GH, glenohumeral