[Clinical-ultrasonographic assessment in arthroscopic rotator cuff repair after 1-year follow-up]

Arthroscopic repair of the rotator cuff have shown have shown encouraging clinical results. However, few authors have assessed integrity of repair with ultrasound. The presence of re-rupture by ultrasonography in a rotator cuff repair may not relate to the patient's functional status.

We used ultrasonography to assess the prevalence of re-rupture in rotator cuff repairs and its clinical relevance with minimum 1 year postoperatively.

Evidence level IV (Case series). We evaluated 27 shoulders that underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Clinical evaluation was performed using UCLA functional scale, visual analogue scale (UCLA, VAS). Post-operative ultrasound was performed at least 1 year postoperatively. Statistical analysis was done with the SPSS 11.0 software.

We examined 27 shoulders, mean age 56.4 (41-78), mean postoperative follow-up 19.6 (12 m-88 m). Clinical assessment with UCLA functional scale results were: good-excellent (77.4%); fair (22.2%). VAS results showed that 44.4% reported VAS of 0; in the range of 1-3 VAS was 55.5% of the patients. Ultrasound evaluation showed no injury in 37%; partial lesion 51.9%, and a total lesion 11.1%. Thirty-three % of the patients with VAS of 0 showed no injury when evaluated by ultrasonography, injury by ultrasound 33.3% with VAS (1-3) 22.2%. UCLA (good-excellent) without injury by ultrasound 33.3% with a 44.4% degree of injury, UCLA (Fair) without injury 3.7%, with some degree of lesion 18.5%. Results no statistically significant difference (p > 0.05).

In our series, we find that integrity of rotator cuff postoperative ultrasound, it has no effect on the functional status of patients with postoperative follow-up of at least 1 year, with UCLA and VAS.