What is the Satisfaction after arthroscopic repair of massive rotator cuff tears?

At Oregon Shoulder Institute, we aim to keep patients satisfied as long as possible after repairing massive rotator cuff tears. This condition is challenging, as it involves 2 or more tendons and/or a tear size of 5 cm. Regardless, we have been able to attain a high satisfaction rate of about 90% in these patients at least 4 years after surgery. However, some factors contribute to dissatisfaction in these patients. Based on this, we decided to perform a study.

What we found

We conducted a study of 100 patients where we separated two groups based on satisfaction — satisfied versus dissatisfied — to determine factors linked to dissatisfaction at a minimum of 4 years after surgery.

Overall satisfaction was about 90%. However, we found that females, and patients with higher grades of fatty infiltration in the infraspinatus muscle (one of the rotator cuff muscles that allows you to externally rotate the shoulder), were more likely to report being dissatisfied.

These findings will help develop guidelines for better patient-centered care in the future.