Rotator cuff injuries: current perspectives and trends for treatment and rehabilitation

To map out the approaches used by Brazilian orthopedists in treating complete tears of the rotator cuff.

A multiple-choice questionnaire was handed out to 232 orthopedists at the 45th Brazilian Congress of Orthopedics and Traumatology. Of these, 207 were returned but five were incomplete and were excluded. Thus, 202 questionnaires were used.

Among the orthopedists who answered the questionnaires, around 60% were from the southeastern region and 46% were shoulder and elbow surgeons. There was a significant association (p < 0.05) between length of experience and number of rotator cuff repairs performed per year. There was also a significant association (p < 0.05) between shoulder specialty and the following variables: arthroscopic technique, use of anchors in a single-row configuration, mean time taken for an indication for surgery to be made in cases of traumatic and degenerative lesions, use of a specific protocol for postsurgical rehabilitation, return to sport and indication of irreparable injuries.

Brazilian shoulder surgeons have well-established approaches toward treating rotator cuff injuries. Most of these approaches differ significantly from those of other specialties. This shows the importance of placing value on training in preparing shoulder specialists in this country.