Preoperative MRI Shoulder Findings Associated with Clinical Outcome 1 Year after Rotator Cuff Repair

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Radiology
• Musculoskeletal Imaging

Background:

• Limited data exists on preoperative MRI's prognostic value for rotator cuff repair outcomes.
• Assessing tear severity preoperatively may predict residual pain and disability post-surgery.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between preoperative MRI characteristics of rotator cuff tears and clinical outcomes after surgical repair.
• To determine if rotator cuff tear severity on MRI correlates with postoperative pain and disability.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective study of 141 patients undergoing rotator cuff repair.
• Preoperative MRI assessed tear width, retraction, tendon degeneration, and muscle atrophy/fatty infiltration.
• Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) scores measured pain and disability pre- and post-surgery (1 year).

Main Results:

• Significant positive association found between increased tear width, tear retraction, and tendon degeneration grade with higher postoperative DASH scores (P < .05).
• No significant association was observed between muscle atrophy/fatty infiltration grade and postoperative DASH scores (P = .49).

Conclusions:

• Larger rotator cuff tears, greater retraction, and more severe tendon degeneration on preoperative MRI are linked to worse clinical outcomes 1 year after repair.
• Preoperative MRI findings are valuable prognostic indicators for rotator cuff repair success.