Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 9, 2026
07:22
Arthroscopic Management of Massive Irreparable Rotator Cuff Tears: Whole Rotator Cable Reconstruction Using Proximal Biceps Tendon Autograft
Published on: June 6, 2025
Time to surgery in acute rotator cufftear: A systematic review
I Mukovozov1, S Byun, F Farrokhyar
1University of Toronto, Facultyof Medicine, 1 King's College Circle, Toronto, Ontario, M5S 1A8, Canada.
Bone & Joint Research
|July 10, 2013
Summary
Earlier surgical repair of acute rotator cuff tears (ARCT) may lead to better outcomes. While both early and delayed repairs show improvement, early surgery trended towards better Constant scores and range of motion.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Sports Medicine
- Clinical Outcomes Research
Background:
- Acute rotator cuff tears (ARCT) are common injuries.
- The optimal timing for surgical intervention in ARCT remains debated.
- Understanding the impact of repair timing on patient outcomes is crucial for clinical decision-making.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the literature on the relationship between the timing of surgical repair for ARCT and post-operative clinical outcomes.
- To compare the effectiveness of early (< 3 months) versus delayed (> 3 months) surgical repair of ARCT.
Main Methods:
- A systematic literature search was conducted across multiple databases (MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, Web of Science, Cochrane Libraries, clinicaltrials.gov).
- 15 studies reporting time to surgery for ARCT repair were included after rigorous screening.
- Studies were categorized into early (< 3 months) and delayed (> 3 months) surgical repair groups for comparative analysis using Student's t-test.
Main Results:
- The delayed repair group (Group B) exhibited significantly higher pre-operative Constant Scores (CS) and range of motion (external rotation, abduction) compared to the early repair group (Group A).
- Both groups demonstrated significant post-operative clinical improvement following surgical repair.
- The early repair group showed greater improvement in Constant Score, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder score, abduction, and elevation post-operatively compared to the delayed group.
Conclusions:
- Findings suggest a potential trend where earlier surgical repair of ARCT may be associated with better Constant Scores and active range of motion in abduction and elevation.
- Results should be interpreted cautiously due to inherent limitations and potential bias in the included case-series studies.
- Further prospective studies are warranted to definitively establish the optimal timing for ARCT surgical repair and its impact on clinical outcomes.
