Long-term outcomes after arthroscopic transosseous-equivalent repair: clinical and magnetic resonance imaging results of rotator cuff tears at a minimum follow-up of 10 years

Purpose: The objective of this study was to evaluate the long-term functional outcomes and structural integrity of medium to massive rotator cuff tears at 10-12 years of follow-up after arthroscopic transosseous-equivalent (TOE) repair. Methods: This was a retrospective study of a consecutive series of patients who underwent primary arthroscopic TOE repair of medium- to massive-sized degenerative rotator cuff tears performed by a single surgeon between January 2007 and August 2009. Patients were examined at a minimum follow-up of 10 years, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed to assess tendon integrity. The Constant score (CS), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, and pain level documented using a visual analog scale were compared between intact repairs and recurrent defects. Univariate analysis was performed to identify factors related to recurrent defects. Results: A total of 102 patients met the inclusion criteria, and 79 shoulders in 76 patients (74.5% of eligible patients) with a mean age at surgery of 55 +/- 8 years (range, 40-72 years) were available for clinical evaluation at a mean follow-up time of 10.9 years (range. 10-12 years). The mean anteroposterior tear size was 3.1 +/- 1.1 cm, and there were 41 medium (52%), 26 large (33%), and 12 massive (15%) tears. MRI was performed in 72 shoulders in 69 patients (91% of available shoulders) and revealed that 13 shoulders had recurrent defects (Sugaya stages 4 and 5). During the follow-up period, 3 patients underwent revision surgery, and the overall recurrent defect rate was 21.3%. A clinically meaningful improvement was observed in all outcome measures at the final follow-up regardless of tendon integrity. Patients with intact repairs showed superior outcomes compared with those with recurrent defects; however, only the overall CS met the threshold for clinical relevance. A significant linear correlation was observed between the Sugaya classification and all outcome scores except the CS pain subscale; however, the strength of correlation was weak. The presence of diabetes (odds ratio [OR], 8.6; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.25-33.2; P = .002), tear size (OR, 2.08; 95% CI, 1.16-3.46; P= .012), and tear refraction (OR. 4.07: 95% CI, 1.11-14.83; P = .033) were associated with recurrent defects in the univariate analysis. Conclusion: Arthroscopic TOE repair of rotator cuff tears provided improved clinical outcomes with a recurrent defect rate of 21.3% at 10-12 years after surgery. Future research focusing on tendon healing is needed as repair integrity on MRI correlates with clinical outcomes. (C) 2021 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. All rights reserved.