Evaluation of clinical outcome of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair

Abstract

Background: Rotator cuff pathology represents one of the most common causes of shoulder pain and dysfunction, significantly impacting patients' quality of life. Arthroscopic techniques have revolutionized rotator cuff repair, potentially offering advantages in surgical precision and post-operative recovery. Objective: To examine the functional outcomes of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in terms of pain relief, range of motion, time to return to daily activities, length of hospital stay, and patient satisfaction at sequential follow-up evaluations. Methods: This prospective study included 22 patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair between May 2023 and June 2024. Patients with full-thickness and partial- thickness tears confirmed by MRI were included. Functional outcomes were assessed using UCLA and Constant-Murley scores, along with VAS pain scores at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months postoperatively. Results: The study population had an equal gender distribution with most patients aged 41- 50 years (36.4%). Supraspinatus was the most commonly affected tendon (77.3%), with complete tears predominating (86.4%). At 6 months, UCLA scores showed significant improvement with 63.6% achieving good outcomes compared to 86.4% poor outcomes preoperatively (p<0.001). Similarly, Constant scores improved from predominantly poor preoperatively (86.4%) to good or excellent at 6 months (100%) (p<0.001). VAS pain scores decreased from 6.09±0.75 at 6 weeks to 1.5±1.0 at 6 months (p<0.001). The mean hospital stay was 5 days, with return to daily activities at 9.64±2.01 days. Patients with traumatic tears demonstrated significantly better UCLA scores than those with degenerative tears (p=0.01). Conclusion: Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair provides excellent clinical outcomes with significant improvements in functional scores and minimal complications. While both single- row and double-row techniques yield satisfactory results, repair strategy should be tailored to tear characteristics and tissue quality. The significant association between traumatic etiology and superior functional outcomes highlights tissue quality as a critical determinant of healing potential and functional recovery.