title: Functional Outcomes and Health-Related Quality of Life After Surgical Repair of Full-Thickness Rotator Cuff Tears Using a Mini-Open Technique: A Concise 10-Year Follow-up of a Previous Report.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Although good short-term and midterm outcomes are reported for mini-open rotator cuff repair, few prospective studies have investigated long-term results.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  Function and health-related quality of life (HRQL) outcomes would be maintained 10 years after mini-open rotator cuff repair.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients with a confirmed full-thickness rotator cuff tear who underwent mini-open repair between April 1997 and July 2000 were evaluated preoperatively as well as 1 year and 10 years postoperatively for (1) pain, function, and HRQL using the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score and Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index (WORC) score; (2) active shoulder range of motion (ROM) using goniometry; and (3) satisfaction by an independent evaluator. Changes in function, HRQL, and ROM over time were analyzed using repeated-measures analysis of variance.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A total of 84 patients were enrolled, of which 61 (73%) were men; the mean (±SD) age was 53.0 ± 9.9 years. At 10 years, 4 (5%) patients were deceased, and 4 (5%) had symptomatic retears. Fifty-nine (74%) patients were evaluated, composed of 43 (73%) men; 26 (44%) were younger than 60 years. Function and HRQL significantly improved over the course of follow-up (P < .001), primarily within the first postoperative year. At 10 years, the mean ASES score was 90.4 ± 19.4, similar to the 1-year score of 91.1 ± 12.0 (P = .83). The mean WORC score at 10 years was 88.7 ± 17.8, with no change from the 1-year score of 88.4 ± 13.6 (P = .93). This relationship did not change after adjusting for age and tear size. Shoulder ROM was also maintained over 10 years. Flexion ROM improved in the first postoperative year, and this improvement was sustained at 10 years after surgery (P ≥ .30). External rotation ROM was slower to improve postoperatively, and significant improvements were seen between 1 and 10 years (P < .01). Fifty-three patients (90%) were satisfied or very satisfied with their results. Tear size, workers' compensation board claimant status, sex, and smoking status did not influence HRQL or shoulder ROM (P > .06).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Postoperative improvements in function and HRQL after mini-open rotator cuff repair were retained at 10 years.
authors.affiliation: Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Manoj K
authors.initials: MK
authors.lastname: Saraswat
authors.affiliation: Covenant Health-Grey Nuns Community Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Fiona
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Styles-Tripp
authors.affiliation: Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada Department of Physical Therapy, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada lauren.beaupre@albertahealthservices.ca.
authors.forename: Lauren A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Beaupre
authors.affiliation: Covenant Health-Grey Nuns Community Hospital, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Charlene
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luciak-Corea
authors.affiliation: Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Otto
authors.affiliation: Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Aleem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lalani
authors.affiliation: Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
authors.forename: Robert A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Balyk
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D012399:Rotation; D017006:Rotator Cuff / Q000601:surgery*; D000070636:Rotator Cuff Injuries; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000601:surgery*
keywords: health-related quality of life; mini-open rotator cuff repair; range of motion