Do accompanying glenohumeral joint pathologies affect the clinical outcomes of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair surgery?

Abstract

Aim: To compare the clinical outcomes of arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs in patients with or without concomitant glenohumeral joint lesions.

Materials and Methods: Patients with a confirmed diagnosis of rotator cuff tear who underwent arthroscopic repair were included in this retrospective comparative study. Patients were grouped according to the presence of accompanying glenohumeral joint pathology identified during arthroscopic surgery. Demographic, clinical, and operative data were recorded for all patients. Physical examination findings and clinical scores were recorded for all patients at initial admission and at the 6-month postoperative follow-up examination.

Results: Group I included 61 patients (with accompanying glenohumeral pathologies) and Group II included 32 patients (with no glenohumeral pathology). The mean shoulder flexion of patients in Group II was significantly higher than that in Group I at both preoperative and postoperative 6 months of follow-up examinations (p=.015 and .001, respectively). The mean internal rotation of the shoulder in Group II was also significantly higher than that in Group I preoperatively and at 6 months postoperatively follow-up examinations (p=.029 and .038, respectively). The mean ASES score of patients in Group II was significantly higher preoperatively and at 6 months postoperatively than that in Group I (p=.002 and .020, respectively).

Conclusion: Among patients who underwent rotator cuff repair, those with accompanying glenohumeral joint pathologies had significantly lower shoulder flexion, internal rotation, and ASES scores than those without such pathologies.