Long-term functional and structural outcome in patients with intact repairs 1 year after open transosseous rotator cuff repair.
OBJECTIVE
Tendon-to-bone suture and a fatty degeneration index (FDI) <or= 2 are required to achieve an intact cuff in the mid-term. Our primary objective was to determine the structural and functional long-term outcomes of repaired cuffs that were intact after one year.


METHODS
We studied 30 cuffs with FDI <or= 2 at surgery and no tear one year after tension-free tendon-to-bone suture. Mean follow-up was 9 +/- 0.8 years. Gross tendon-stump lesions were excised prior to repair.


RESULTS
Re-tear after one year was rare: only one cuff showed a recurrent tear. In the 29 intact cuffs, mean un-weighted Constant score and sub-scores improved significantly (P values, < .0001- .0002; final Constant score = 77) for two years then remained stable. FDI values increased during the first year and then remained stable. Mild osteoarthritis was noted in one shoulder at last follow-up.


CONCLUSIONS
Final functional outcomes correlated significantly to FDI at baseline and last follow-up. Tension free tendon-to-bone suture is effective functionally and structurally at nine years follow-up provided the FDI at surgery is <or= 2 and the repair is intact after one year.


METHODS
Level 3; Retrospective cohort therapeutic study.
Goutallier
Daniel
D
Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Henri Mondor Teaching Hospital, Créteil School of Medicine (Paris XII University), Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Paris, Créteil, France.
Postel
Jean-Marie
JM
Radier
Catherine
C
Bernageau
Jacques
J
Zilber
Sebastien
S
D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015601:Injury Severity Score; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D011336:Probability; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012008:Recurrence; D018570:Risk Assessment; D017006:Rotator Cuff / Q000601:surgery*; D000070636:Rotator Cuff Injuries; D013536:Suture Techniques; D013708:Tendon Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D013718:Tensile Strength; D013997:Time Factors; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome