An analysis of shoulder outcomes scores in 275 consecutive patients: disease-specific correlation across multiple shoulder conditions.

OBJECTIVES

To determine the outcomes scores of military patients who initially present with a variety of shoulder conditions, identify which scores demonstrate the highest correlation per diagnosis, and determine if a difference exists for patients who went onto surgery.

METHODS

Two-hundred and seventy five consecutive patients with mean age of 36.5 +/- 12.9 at presentation completed baseline outcomes assessments that included Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) Score, Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index (WOSI), Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index (WORC), the Simple Shoulder Test (SST), and the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand Index (DASH). The patients were grouped by clinical, radiographic, and surgical findings into 10 diagnostic categories.

OUTCOMES: The initial mean outcomes scores were SANE 48.8, ASES 50.1, WOSI 1279 (40% normal), WORC 1122.4 (47% normal), SST 6.7, and DASH 33.1. Patients with superior labrum anterior-posterior tears demonstrated the lowest mean scores, followed by instability and rotator cuff tear patients. For all conditions, scores were lower for patients who went onto surgery compared with those managed nonoperatively (p = 0.008).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings may be utilized as a baseline to compare and track patient-derived disability across multiple shoulder conditions and serve to define mean diagnosis-specific shoulder patient preoperative scores.