Sports medicine stats: Outcomes of rotator cuff repair surgery
Dr. David Geier is an orthopedic surgeon and sports medicine specialist in Charleston, South Carolina and Charlotte, North Carolina. He helps athletes and active people feel and perform their best, regardless of age, injuries and medical history. He has been featured in major media publications and shows over 2,500 times throughout his career.
A recent Australian study examined 1600 consecutive patients who underwent primary arthroscopic rotator cuff repair by a single surgeon. All patients had the integrity of the repaired rotator cuff tendons assessed by ultrasound six months after the surgery. The retear rate at the beginning of the study was found to be 18%. The retear rate decreased to 5% by the end of the study. Reductions in retear were associated with more passive rehabilitation, more attention to use of the post-operative abduction sling, and increased experience of the surgical team experience.
While this study doesn’t directly attribute changes in retear rates to changes in management, the results suggest that less aggressive rehabilitation, abduction sling use and increased experience of the surgeon decrease postoperative retear.
Source: Orthopaedic Journal of Sports Medicine, March 30, 2016
Through the stories of a dozen athletes whose injuries and recovery advanced the field (including Joan Benoit, Michael Jordan, Brandi Chastain, and Tommy John), Dr. Geier explains how sports medicine makes sports safer for the pros, amateurs, student-athletes, and weekend warriors alike.
patients had the integrity of the repaired rotator cuff tendons assessed by ultrasound six months after the surgery. The retear rate at the beginning of the study was found to be 18%. The retear rate decreased to 5% by the end of the study. Reductions in retear were associated with more passive rehabilitation, more attention to use of the post-operative abduction sling, and increased experience of the surgical team experience.