Case Studies AAOS Clinical Practice Guideline: Management of Rotator Cuff Injuries

Shoulder disease is a major cause of musculoskeletal disability in the United States. Chronic shoulder pain has been estimated to affect approximately 8% of all American adults, second only to chronic knee pain in our society's burden of musculoskeletal disease. Rotator cuff pathology is the leading cause of shoulder-related disability seen by orthopaedic surgeons, and surgical volume is on the rise. One study, for example, notes a 141% increase in rotator cuff repairs from 1996 to 2006 in the United States. Because rotator cuff disease is such a common condition with evidence of various strength supporting different common treatments, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons published a clinical practice guideline to help elucidate best practices for its treatment. A summary of these guidelines with the strength of the recommendations is available at OrthoGuidelines (http://www.orthoguidelines.org/topic?id=1027) with links to rationale behind each of the conclusions. This study will illustrate the use of these guidelines through presentation and discussion of hypothetical clinical cases.