Factors Affecting Late-Period Retear That Occurs More than 2 Years After Rotator Cuff Repair.

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Radiology

Background:

• Rotator cuff retears can occur years after surgical repair, not just in the early postoperative phase.
• Risk factors for these late retears remain largely unstudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To determine the frequency of late retears (>2 years) after rotator cuff repair (RCR).
• To identify demographic and radiologic factors associated with late retears compared to early retears (≤6 months).

Main Methods:

• A case-control study analyzed 345 patients with rotator cuff retears after RCR, divided into early (≤6 months) and late (>2 years) groups.
• Propensity score matching (PSM) adjusted for age, sex, and initial tear size.
• Demographic (smoking, diabetes mellitus) and radiologic (tear size) factors were analyzed for association with late retears.

Main Results:

• Late retears occurred in 9% of patients post-RCR.
• Diabetes mellitus (controlled and uncontrolled) was significantly associated with late retears.
• In patients with smaller mediolateral (ML) tears, current smoking and uncontrolled diabetes were significant risk factors for late retears.

Conclusions:

• Rotator cuff retears can occur more than two years after surgical repair.
• Diabetes mellitus is a significant risk factor for late retears.
• Current smokers and those with uncontrolled diabetes face an elevated risk of late retears, particularly with smaller tears.