Brislin, Field and Savoie counted the complications in a consecutive series of primary arthroscopic cuff repairs, expecting a rate similar to open repair.
Retrospective chart review of 263 consecutive primary arthroscopic repairs by two surgeons in the first half of 2003, counting complications in the first 90 days.
Key Findings
28 of 263 patients (10.6%) had a complication, and none had more than one.
Stiffness made up 23 of the 28. The rest were one each of failed healing, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, deep vein thrombosis, infection and death.
Stiffness resolved by a mean 5 months in 14 of 23. Nine still lacked motion at 5 months, and one needed arthroscopic release.
Tear size did not differ significantly between patients who did and did not become stiff.
One patient died a week after same‑day discharge, with no cause established.
Board pearl
No routine imaging was done to look for retear. The single healing failure was found only because pain and weakness prompted an MRI, and complications were counted from charts for the first 90 days.
Authors' conclusion
The most common complication was recognized as persistent stiffness that usually responded to extensive physical therapy. Complications after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair are similar to results published for open rotator cuff repair.
Brislin, Field and Savoie counted the complications in a consecutive series of primary arthroscopic cuff repairs, expecting a rate similar to open repair.
Retrospective chart review of 263 consecutive primary arthroscopic repairs by two surgeons in the first half of 2003, counting complications in the first 90 days.
Key Findings
28 of 263 patients (10.6%) had a complication, and none had more than one.
Stiffness made up 23 of the 28. The rest were one each of failed healing, reflex sympathetic dystrophy, deep vein thrombosis, infection and death.
Stiffness resolved by a mean 5 months in 14 of 23. Nine still lacked motion at 5 months, and one needed arthroscopic release.
Tear size did not differ significantly between patients who did and did not become stiff.
One patient died a week after same‑day discharge, with no cause established.
Board pearl
No routine imaging was done to look for retear. The single healing failure was found only because pain and weakness prompted an MRI, and complications were counted from charts for the first 90 days.
Authors' conclusion
The most common complication was recognized as persistent stiffness that usually responded to extensive physical therapy. Complications after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair are similar to results published for open rotator cuff repair.