National trends in rotator cuff repair

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Public Health

Background:

• Arthroscopic and open rotator cuff repairs yield comparable clinical outcomes.
• Each surgical technique presents unique advantages and disadvantages.
• Understanding practice patterns is crucial for rotator cuff repair management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze national practice patterns for rotator cuff repair.
• To examine trends in arthroscopic versus open rotator cuff repair rates.
• To identify shifts in surgical settings (inpatient vs. outpatient).

Main Methods:

• Utilized the National Hospital Discharge Survey (NHDS) and National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery (NSAS) from 1996 and 2006.
• Queried databases using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes for arthroscopic and open rotator cuff repairs.
• Analyzed patient demographics, comorbidities, and surgical setting.

Main Results:

• Total rotator cuff repairs increased by 141% between 1996 and 2006.
• Arthroscopic repairs surged by 600%, while open repairs grew by 34%.
• A significant shift from inpatient to outpatient surgery occurred (p < 0.001).

Conclusions:

• National rates of rotator cuff repair have dramatically increased over the past decade.
• Arthroscopic-assisted rotator cuff repair experienced particularly substantial growth.
• Practice patterns have evolved, favoring outpatient arthroscopic procedures.