Impact of rotator cuff tendon reparability on patient satisfaction

The primary purpose of this study was to explore the relationship between patient satisfaction and rotator cuff tendon reparability.

This was a secondary analysis of prospectively collected data of consecutive patients who underwent arthroscopic repair of full-thickness rotator cuff tear and were followed up for 2 years. The satisfaction level was rated on a 6-point Likert scale. Patient-oriented disability measures included the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, the short version of the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff index, the Constant-Murley score, and the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand. Partial repair was defined as repair with >1 cm residual gap.

There were 145 patients (65 women, 80 men; mean age, 62 years) who met the inclusion criteria. There were 12 massive, 31 large, and 102 small or moderate rotator cuff tears. Of 43 large or massive tears, 23 had a partial repair. There was a statistically significant relationship between satisfaction and tendon reparability (P = .01). Patients with work-related shoulder injury reported less satisfaction with surgery (P = .005). Age, gender, or tear size did not affect satisfaction with surgery. Satisfaction was a predictor of all postoperative outcome scores after being adjusted for preoperative scores (P = .001 to P < .0001).

In this study, patients with partial repair and those with an active compensable injury were less satisfied with surgery than their counterparts were. Older age, female sex, or a larger tear was not a negative predictor of patient satisfaction.