Arthroscopic Repair Benefits Reparable Rotator Cuff Tear Patients Aged 65 Years or Older With a History of Traumatic Events.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the clinical outcomes of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair at 2-year follow-up in patients aged 65 years or older with a history of traumatic events divided into groups based on symptom duration (<3 months, 3-6 months, and >6 months from injury to surgery) and to compared patient-reported outcomes among the 3 groups.

METHODS

Between 2015 and 2020, 110 patients who met the inclusion criteria were enrolled in this study; these patients were divided into 3 groups according to symptom duration: less than 3 months (group A), 3 to 6 months (group B) and more than 6 months (group C). Preoperative and 2-year postoperative clinical outcomes were compared, including American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, Constant-Murley, University of California, Los Angeles, Simple Shoulder Test, and visual analog scale scores; forward elevation; external rotation; and internal rotation. The minimal clinically important difference (MCID), patient acceptable symptom state, substantial clinical benefit, and maximum outcome improvement were also compared among the groups.

RESULTS

The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, as the primary outcome, improved significantly from 41.0 ± 18.5 to 85.4 ± 8.1 in group A, from 53.7 ± 14.3 to 86.3 ± 11.7 in group B, and from 49.7 ± 18.5 to 83.9 ± 11.9 in group C. All the other parameters showed statistically significant improvements at 2-year follow-up in each group (all P < .05). There was no significant difference in each parameter among the 3 groups except the visual analog scale score, which did not achieve the MCID. Overall, 86 patients (78.2%) exceeded the MCID, 87 patients (79.1%) achieved the patient acceptable symptom state, 77 patients (70.0%) achieved substantial clinical benefit, and 62 patients (56.4%) achieved maximum outcome improvement without significant differences among the 3 groups.

CONCLUSIONS

In rotator cuff tear patients aged 65 years or older with a history of traumatic events, arthroscopic rotator cuff repair significantly improves clinical outcomes at 2-year follow-up regardless of symptom duration if the tear is fully reparable.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, prognostic retrospective study.