Is systematic long-term sonographic follow-up after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair useful in asymptomatic patients?

To establish whether ultrasonographic (US) appearance is correlated to functional outcome in asymptomatic patients 12 months after rotator cuff repair.

26 asymptomatic patients at twelve months after arthroscopic cuff repair and 26 controls were retrospectively included. A clinical score (Constant's Shoulder Score, CSS) was compared with a US score (the modified Sugaya Score, mSS). The minimal thickness of the anterior and posterior parts of the cuff was also measured.

CSS improved significantly from preoperatively to postoperatively (mean increased from 41 to 82.6, p<.001). Correlation between the postoperative CSS and the minimal thickness of the cuff at its anterior and posterior part (p=0.55 and p=0.13) was not significant. There was also no significant correlation between the postoperative CSS and mSS (p=0.34).

The sonographic appearance of the cuff repair is not correlated to the functional outcome at 12 months after arthroscopic surgery in asymptomatic patients.