Home Orthopedics Early Rotator Cuff Surgery Offers Good Long-Term Outcomes

Early Rotator Cuff Surgery Offers Good Long-Term Outcomes

But preoperative fatty infiltration and postoperative retear show significantly detrimental effect

THURSDAY, Aug. 24, 2017 (HealthDay News) — Early surgery for isolated supraspinatus repairs leads to considerable improvement in clinical and radiographic outcomes at 10 years, according to a study published in the Aug. 16 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.

Phillipe Collin, M.D., of the Hospital Center of Saint-Gregoire in France, and colleagues tracked 288 patients (about half women, half men) at 15 French hospitals who had full-thickness isolated supraspinatus tears repaired by surgery in 2003. At least 10 years later, when their average age was 57, they were evaluated. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans were assessed for 210 of these patients.

The researchers found that most patients improved substantially in terms of shoulder motion, pain, strength, and their ability to carry out daily activities. The study team found it didn’t seem to matter whether patients underwent open or minimally invasive surgery, nor was preoperative retraction a factor. Outcomes were not as favorable in patients with MRI evidence of fat accumulation within the repaired supraspinatus muscle.

“Repairs of isolated supraspinatus tears maintained considerable improvement in clinical and radiographic outcomes at 10 years,” the authors write. “Preoperative fatty infiltration and postoperative retear have a significantly detrimental effect on the long-term functional outcome of rotator cuff repair.”

One author disclosed financial ties to ConMed.

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