Long-term Results of Arthroscopic Repair of Full-Thickness Traumatic Rotator Cuff Tears in Active Duty Military Patients Under the Age of 40 Years.

Abstract

Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair is an effective procedure through which to decrease pain and increase strength, with favorable long-term outcomes demonstrated in older patient populations with full-thickness rotator cuff tears. The long-term outcomes after this procedure in younger, higher-demand patients, however, is not as clearly defined. To report on the long-term outcomes after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair of traumatic full-thickness rotator cuff tears in active duty military patients under the age of 40 years at the time of surgery. Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Preoperative, midterm, and final evaluations were collected, including scores on the visual analog scale for pain, Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation, and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons shoulder form. A total of 42 patients were screened for inclusion: 3 underwent additional surgical procedures on the operative shoulder and 2 were lost to follow-up, leaving 37 patients with mean follow-up of 104.51 months available for analysis. A subgroup analysis was performed comparing outcomes between patients with Southern California Orthopaedic Institute grade 1 or 2 tears and those with grade 3 or 4 tears. At final follow-up, pain per the visual analog scale decreased to 1.16 from 8.03 (<i>P</i> < .0001); the Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation score increased to 87.32 from 48.24 (<i>P</i> < .0001); and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score increased to 88.68 from 41.00 (<i>P</i> < .0001). There was no statistically significant difference in outcome scores or range of motion between midterm and final follow-up. Improvement in outcome scores and range of motion at final follow-up did not vary between patients with small and large tears. Of 42 patients, 37 (88.1%) were able to return to full unrestricted active duty and sporting activity, while 5 (11.9%) were medically separated from the military. Active duty military patients under the age of 40 years with traumatic full-thickness rotator cuff tears had statistically and clinically significant increases in outcome scores and decreases in pain after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair at long-term follow-up.