THURSDAY, Nov. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with and without acromioplasty shows similar significant improvements in functional and quality-of-life indices, according to a study published in the Nov. 2 issue of The Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery.
Peter MacDonald, M.D., from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, and colleagues compared the functional and quality of-life indices, and rates of revision surgery in 68 patients randomly assigned to arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with or without acromioplasty. The Western Ontario Rotator Cuff (WORC) index was the primary outcome measured, and secondary outcomes included the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) shoulder assessment form, and the number of revisions required in each group. Measures were evaluated preoperatively, and at three, six, 12, 18, and 24 months post-surgery.
The investigators found a significant improvement in the WORC and ASES scores over time in each group. The WORC or ASES scores were not different between the groups at any time point. The scores did not differ on the basis of acromion type, with no interaction effects between group and acromion type. In the arthroscopic cuff repair alone group, one patient with a Type-2 and three patients with a Type-3 acromion required additional surgery by 24-months. Compared with the group that had arthroscopic cuff repair and acromioplasty, the group with arthroscopic cuff repair alone had a greater number of patients requiring additional surgery (P = 0.05).
"We observed significant improvements in quality-of-life and functional outcome scores in patients who underwent rotator cuff repair with an acromioplasty and those who underwent a repair only," the authors write.
One author disclosed funding to his institution from Linvatec, a medical device company in the field of arthroscopy.
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