This retrospective cohort of 1000 consecutive arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs by a single surgeon asked which preoperative and intraoperative factors best predict retear. Repair integrity was assessed by ultrasound at 6 months. The goal was to rank predictors and build a formula estimating retear risk.
When you counsel a patient before cuff repair, the number that matters most is tear size, specifically the anteroposterior (sagittal) dimension. This paper reframes a long-held teaching. Mediolateral retraction was traditionally emphasized, but here AP length (r = 0.41) outperformed retraction (r = 0.34) as a predictor of retear.
Use tear size and age together to set expectations. A young patient with a small tear has a low single-digit retear risk, while an elderly patient with a large AP tear approaches a coin-flip. Age stayed independent even after adjusting for tear size, meaning age-related tissue changes are not fully captured at arthroscopy.
The key limitations: single surgeon, single knotless technique, and 6-month ultrasound follow-up. The predictive formula relies on intraoperative measurements, so it is not truly a preoperative planning tool.
This retrospective cohort of 1000 consecutive arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs by a single surgeon asked which preoperative and intraoperative factors best predict retear. Repair integrity was assessed by ultrasound at 6 months. The goal was to rank predictors and build a formula estimating retear risk.
When you counsel a patient before cuff repair, the number that matters most is tear size, specifically the anteroposterior (sagittal) dimension. This paper reframes a long-held teaching. Mediolateral retraction was traditionally emphasized, but here AP length (r = 0.41) outperformed retraction (r = 0.34) as a predictor of retear.
Use tear size and age together to set expectations. A young patient with a small tear has a low single-digit retear risk, while an elderly patient with a large AP tear approaches a coin-flip. Age stayed independent even after adjusting for tear size, meaning age-related tissue changes are not fully captured at arthroscopy.
The key limitations: single surgeon, single knotless technique, and 6-month ultrasound follow-up. The predictive formula relies on intraoperative measurements, so it is not truly a preoperative planning tool.