Noam Rosen¹, Corey J Scholes², Piyush S Nashikkar¹, Dvir Ben Shabat¹, Andres E Rodriguez Borgonovo¹* and Mark D Haber¹

¹Southern Orthopaedics, Wollongong, Australia
²EBM Analytics, Sydney, Australia

*Corresponding Author: Andres E Rodriguez Borgonovo, Southern Orthopaedics, Wollongong, Australia.

Received: November 24, 2022; Published: December 09, 2022

Abstract

Introduction: This study assessed the effects of increasing age in patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (RCR) on self-reported rehabilitation compliance, retear incidence and patient-reported outcomes (PROMs), with emphasis on patients older than 70 years of age deemed “repairable” using an appropriate protocol.

Methods: A retrospective analysis of prospectively collected data was performed from patients undergoing primary arthroscopic RCR between Feb 2014 and May 2017, with >26 weeks follow-up. Demographics, PROMs, intraoperative parameters and follow-up ultrasounds were collected. Incidence of retear in patients above/below 70yrs was compared using binary logistic regression, and PROMs examined using multiple linear regression.

Results: Significantly lower tendon and bone quality and fewer biceps tendon procedures were observed in patients >70yrs. Patients >70yrs had clinically equivalent postoperative PROMs despite significantly higher incidence of segmental retears (14% vs 6.9%) at 6 months. Increasing age was a risk factor for any retear, and full rehabilitation compliance was protective. Preoperative PROMs were strongest predictors of both postoperative and change scores.

Discussion: Arthroscopic RCR provides comparable improvements in PROMs in older patients (>70yrs) deemed “repairable”, despite higher risk of segmental retear. Patient selection is important and age alone should not be the deciding factor regarding suitability for reconstruction.

Keywords: Shoulder; Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair; Age; Older Patients; Patient Reported Outcomes; Rotator Cuff Tear

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Citation

Citation: Andres E Rodriguez Borgonovo., et al. “Equivalent Functional Outcomes of Rotator Cuff Repair in Patients Above 70yrs in an Appropriately Selected Cohort Can Be Achieved: An Observational Case-Control Comparative Study”. Acta Scientific Orthopaedics 6.1 (2023): 75-83.

Copyright

Copyright: © 2023 Andres E Rodriguez Borgonovo., et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.