title: Similar results comparing early and late surgery in open repair of traumatic rotator cuff tears.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose was to investigate whether surgical repair earlier or later than 3 months after injury may result in similar outcomes and patient satisfaction.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-three patients (75 shoulders, 58 males, mean age 59) who had undergone surgical intervention for traumatic rotator cuff tears from 1999 to 2011 were assessed by MRI, clinical examination and Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index (WORC) as a primary outcome measure and Oxford Shoulder score (OSS), Constant-Murley score (CS) and EQ-5D as secondary. The patients treated less than 3 months after injury (n = 39) were compared with patients treated more than 3 months after injury (n = 36). The average follow-up time was 56 months (range 14-149), and the average time from injury to repair for all patients was 16 weeks (range 3-104). A single senior radiologist performed a blinded evaluation of all the MRIs. Rotator cuff integrity, presence of arthritis, fatty degeneration and muscle atrophy were evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  No differences were found for any of the assessed outcomes (WORC, OSS, CS and EQ-5D) between the two groups. The mean WORC % was 77 % for both groups. Re-tear frequency was 24 %, nine in both groups. Patients with re-tear reported less satisfaction with their outcome.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The surgical treatment of symptomatic traumatic rotator cuff tears repairable later than 3 months after injury yields a good functional outcome, a high level of subjective patient satisfaction, and at the same level for patients receiving earlier treatment. Based on our findings, surgical repair could be encouraged whenever technically possible.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective Comparative Study, Level III.
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Sciences, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden. Soheila.zhaeentan@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Soheila
authors.identifier: http://orcid.org/0000-0003-1140-5970
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Zhaeentan
authors.affiliation: Division of Radiology, Danderyds University Hospital, Denderyd, Sweden.
authors.forename: Anders
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Von Heijne
authors.affiliation: Division of Orthopaedics, Danderyds University Hospital, Denderyd, Sweden.
authors.forename: André
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Stark
authors.affiliation: Department of Clinical Science and Education, Hand and Foot Surgery Centre, Karolinska Institute, Solna, Sweden.
authors.forename: Elisabet
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Hagert
authors.affiliation: Division of Orthopaedics, Danderyds University Hospital, Denderyd, Sweden.
authors.forename: Björn
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Salomonsson
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology; D019637:Orthopedic Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D000070636:Rotator Cuff Injuries / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D061665:Time-to-Treatment / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Impact of time; Rotator cuff repair; Shoulder; Time to surgery; Traumatic rotator cuff tear; Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index (WORC)