Long-term results after surgical treatment of subacromial pain syndrome with or without rotator cuff tear.

PURPOSE: Some studies suggest a common degenerative path might contribute to a range of shoulder diseases involving subacromial pain syndrome and full-thickness rotator cuff tears. One could therefore theorize arthroscopic subacromial decompression and rotator cuff repair as interventions at different stages of a degenerative shoulder disease. Few studies have compared long-term outcomes after these two procedures. METHOD: Matched case-controls undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair combined with subacromial decompression (N = 180) or subacromial decompression only (N = 180) were evaluated pre- and 7.5 years postoperatively using QuickDASH score, VAS of function, VAS of pain and VAS of satisfaction. New surgery and complications were recorded. Baseline characteristics were related to outcomes to investigate predictors of good/poor outcome. RESULTS: A general improvement from baseline was seen - from 51 to 14 (QuickDASH) in the combined group and from 53 to 16 in the decompression only group. No differences in outcomes were seen between groups (n.s.). Age above 55 at surgery predicted better VAS of function (P = .04) while acute onset of symptoms predicted better QuickDASH in the combined group (P = 0.03). None in the decompression group had undergone later rotator cuff repair. CONCLUSION: Major improvements in pain/function were seen at mid- to long-term after isolated arthroscopic subacromial decompression and combined decompression/rotator cuff repair. Several patient-specific factors predicting worse outcomes were identified.

Preoperative NSAIDs, non-acute onset and long-standing symptoms predict inferior outcome at long-term follow-up after rotator cuff repair.

PURPOSE: To evaluate mid- to long-term results after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair and to explore possible predictors of inferior outcome. METHODS: Patients treated for full-thickness supraspinatus and/or infraspinatus tears from 2004 to 2008, using a uniform single-row arthroscopic technique, were included in the study. Pre- and post-operative QuickDASH were used as the primary outcome measure, and VAS of pain, function and satisfaction were also collected. An additional questionnaire explored demographic and preoperative factors like onset and duration of symptoms, preoperative treatment and smoking habits. RESULTS: One hundred and forty-seven patients (82 %) were available at 6-9 years after surgery. All outcomes improved significantly from the preoperative values. A total of 8 % of patients had undergone additional surgery to the same shoulder during the follow-up period. Long-standing symptoms (>12 months) (P < 0.01), non-acute onset of symptoms (P < 0.01) and preoperative use of NSAIDs (P = 0.01) were correlated with inferior outcome at follow-up. No other factors investigated (i.e. gender, age, smoking and steroid injections) were found to affect the primary outcome (QuickDASH). CONCLUSION: The current study is one of few reports of mid- to long-term outcomes after arthroscopic single-row repair of full-thickness rotator cuff tears. Global improvement in symptoms and function was found between the preoperative and the 6-9 years evaluation, and the technique therefore seems like a viable approach for treating tears of the supra- and the infraspinatus tendon. Several predictors of inferior long-term outcome after rotator cuff repair were, however, identified: preoperative use of NSAIDs, long-standing symptoms before surgery and non-acute onset of shoulder symptoms. In light of the current findings, accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment seem important in optimizing outcomes after rotator cuff surgery. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: IV.