Rockwood and Matsen’s The Shoulder, 6th Edition

By: Matsen, Frederick A., III, MD; Cordasco, Frank A., MD, MS; Sperling, John W., MD, MBA; Lippitt, Steven B., MD; Antuna, Samuel, MD, PhD; Bois, Aaron J., MD, MSc, FRCSC 

ISBN: 9780323698368

Pub Date: August 10, 2021

Reviewed By: Mark R Hutchinson, MD (University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine) 

Description

This book has been the leading go-to shoulder reference through five editions. 

This sixth edition will no doubt continue in the foundational standard of excellence set by the prior versions of this wonderful reference text. This is the 30th anniversary of the original book produced in 1990. 

Purpose

The purpose of this book is to serve as a core reference and inspire readers to strive for the highest level of care for the many individuals who are compromised by shoulder pathology, which, in turn, will enable clinicians to make a profound difference in the quality of their lives. The online format not only provides universal access, but also provides bonus videos and copying ability of the images and graphics. This is a wonderful text that should be a core title of every academic library. 

Audience

The target audience is obviously orthopedic surgeons who care for patients with shoulder pathology, but it also should serve as a core reference for residents and fellows in training. The authors have brought together an impressive cadre of shoulders specialists from around the world to contribute a true global perspective of both proven and cutting-edge ways to approach shoulder pathologies. 

Features

The book is organized in a classic fashion beginning with introductory anatomy, followed by sequential sections and chapters that target groups of pathologies such as instability, stiffness, periclavicular pathologies, rotator cuff, arthritis, etc. The images are of the highest quality and most sections include not only the best evidence available but also the authors’ preferred technique. 

Assessment

This book has been and should be the cornerstone of every academic and institutional library that hosts surgeons and clinicians who perform shoulder surgery. It should serve the same foundational role for every surgeon who performs shoulder surgery. The updates provided in the sixth edition give it a bit more of an international flair and secure it as THE global go-to reference book for shoulder surgery. 

©Doody’s Review Service, 2022, Mark R Hutchinson, MD (University of Illinois at Chicago College of Medicine) 

Doody’s Score: 95 – 4 Stars! 

Purchase your copy of Rockwood and Matsen’s The Shoulder, 6th Edition here!