CUFF INTEGRITY, PATIENT SATISFACTION AND FUNCTIONAL OUTCOME FOLLOWING OPEN REPAIR OF SYMPTOMATIC ROTATOR CUFF TEARS. ARE WE DOING THE RIGHT THING?

Background:

With the increase in the average age of the population, the incidence of symptomatic rotator cuff tears will also increase. Combined with more access to information via the internet etc., the patient population is more informed of the treatment modalities available and is expecting good reproducible results of their surgeries.

Study:

288 of 426 consecutive open rotator cuff repairs (2010–2012) were examined at 6 month follow up and evaluated for ranges of motion, the integrity of the deltoid and specifically the sonographic integrity of the cuff. All procedures were done in the same manner by the same surgeon (TdB). At the 6 months follow-up all had a sonar of the repaired cuff.

As a second part of the study 319 of 462 consecutive cuff repair patients were phoned and evaluated by means of the ASES score insofar satisfaction with their shoulder as well as functional outcome are concerned.

Results:

• Pain

  • None – 53%

  • Little – 24%

  • Occasional – 21%

  • Often – 2%

• Cuff integrity – perfect 72%

  1. –

     small effusion/thin but healed – 23%

  2. –

     defective – 5%

• ASES score -Average 93 at average follow up 40.43 months.

Conclusion:

The results show a high patient satisfaction rate, good functional outcome and especially good cuff integrity following this manner of cuff repair.