Abstract
Background: The aim of the present study was to evaluate the clinical and radiological outcomes of the patients who underwent open surgical repair with the diagnosis of rotator cuff rupture. Methods: Twenty-eight rotator cuff tear patients refractory to conservative treatment and underwent open rotator cuff repair between April 2012 and April 2017 were retrospectively included in the study. Patients were assessed radiologically and clinically before and after surgery. Patients' age, gender, duration of complaints, the type of the rupture, the data obtained during operation (rupture size, shape, affected tendon, the presence of retraction if any), postoperative complications were recorded. Functional assessments of the patients were performed at 6th and 12th months preoperatively and postoperatively with objective assessments using Constant and UCLA scoring. All patients' operated shoulders were evaluated with MRI during their recent follow-up. Results: The mean postoperative follow-up period of the patients was 30.4 (range: 13-72) months. Preoperative and postoperative mean UCLA scores of the patients were 10.85±1.89, and 28.8±3.34, respectively (p < 0.001). Pre-, and postoperative average Constant scores were 38.1 (range, 7.0 to 56.0), and 72.4 (range, 52.0 to 98.0), respectively (p < 0.001). Rotator cuff continuity was assessed in shoulder MRIs obtained during recent follow-ups of patients, and four recurrent tears were observed. Correlation tests revealed that tear size observed during surgery showed a significant (p = 0.002) and a weakly negative (r = -0.468) correlation with preoperative Constant scores, and a significant (p = 0.0001) and moderately negative (r = -0.645) relationship with postoperative Constant scores. UCLA and Constant functional outcomes were worse in patients over 60 years of age, than younger patients and recurrent tears were more often observed in the elderly population. A significant relationship was revealed between the age of the patients and tendon healing (p < 0.05). Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that open repair is a reasonable and successful treatment option in patients with rotator cuff tears. Overall satisfactory clinical outcomes could be achieved.
Rotator Cuff Tears in the Elderly Patients