Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess cuff integrity after arthroscopic rotator
cuff repair and the correlation with clinical results and healing prognostic factors.
Methods: A total of 576 supraspinatus or infraspinatus tears that had undergone all-arthroscopic
repairs by 9 surgeons experienced in arthroscopic surgery were involved in this multicenter
study. The clinical results were evaluated by use of the Constant score. The integrity
of the repair was evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging with contrast or by computed
tomography arthrogram. Results: The global clinical and anatomic results after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in
this study are comparable to other published results. Although the results were most
often good and excellent despite incomplete tendon healing, better functional results
in terms of activity, motion, and especially strength were obtained when the cuff
was clearly intact after the arthroscopic repair. The Constant pain subscore did not
correlate to the integrity or lack thereof in the repaired tendon. Conclusions: The type of rupture, the location of the rupture, and the presence of interstitial
delamination and fatty degeneration of the involved muscle are prognostic factors
of the anatomic result in arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. The age of the patient
and the delay between the initial presentation of the symptoms and the operation were
also noted to be significant healing prognostic factors. Level of Evidence: Level IV, therapeutic case series.
Key Words
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Article info
Footnotes
Originally published as Flurin PH, Landreau P, Gregory T, Boileau P, Brassart N, Courage O, Dagher E, Graveleau N, Guillo S, Kempf JF, Lafosse L, Laprelle E, Toussaint B; et la Societe Francaise d’Artroscopie. Réparation arthroscopique des ruptures transfixiantes de la coiffe des rotateurs: Étude rétrospective multicentrique de 576 cas avec contrôle de la cicatrisation. Rev Chir Orthop Reparatrice Appar Mot 2005;91(S8):31-42. ©2005 Masson, Editeur. Reprinted with permission. English translation by Thomas Gregory, M.D.
The authors report no conflict of interest.
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Copyright
© 2007 Arthroscopy Association of North America. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
