Preoperative Patient-Reported Outcomes Predict Postoperative Clinical Outcomes Following Rotator Cuff Repair

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Patient-Reported Outcomes

Background:

• Preoperative patient-reported outcomes (PROs) are crucial for evaluating rotator cuff repair success.
• Understanding predictors of postoperative results can guide patient expectations and treatment planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if preoperative PROs, specifically the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, predict postoperative PROs and patient satisfaction after rotator cuff repair.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective analysis of 348 patients undergoing primary rotator cuff repair.
• Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis to identify a predictive ASES score threshold.
• Comparison of outcomes (ASES scores, MCID, SCB, PASS, satisfaction) between groups above and below the threshold.

Main Results:

• A preoperative ASES score of 63 was predictive of achieving substantial clinical benefit (SCB).
• Patients with preoperative ASES < 63 showed significantly greater improvement (MCID, SCB, Δ ASES) but lower final scores.
• Patients with preoperative ASES > 63 reported higher final ASES scores, greater likelihood of achieving patient-acceptable symptom state (PASS), and higher satisfaction.

Conclusions:

• Preoperative ASES scores are significant predictors of both functional improvement and patient satisfaction after rotator cuff repair.
• While lower preoperative scores indicate a higher potential for relative improvement, higher scores may predict better overall satisfaction and symptom state achievement.