Abstract
Background: Few reports describe the association between the osteoarthritic (OA) change of a shoulder and cuff repair. This study clarifies these matters by examining patients with a cuff tear that has been treated using surgery.
Methods: We studied 141 shoulders on which cuff repair surgery had been performed. X-ray images before surgery were evaluated for their OA change at five points: lateral of acromion (LA), anterior margin of acromion (AA), inferior to humeral head (IH), inferior of glenoid (IG), and greater tuberosity (GT). We defined an “OA group” and “non-OA group” depending on the presence or absence of OA change at each site. Inter-group differences at each site were tested for statistical significance according to the thickness of supraspinatus (SSP), infraspinatus (ISP), and deltoid (Del) muscle measured in MRI images at 6 months and 1 year after surgery.
Results: The improvement rate of SSP in the OA group with IG was significantly lower than in the other group. The SSP thickness at 6 months after surgery and the thickness of SSP and ISP at 1 year after surgery in the OA group with GT were significantly lower.
Conclusion: OA changes at IG and GT on X-ray film before surgery were associated with cuff repair. However, the OA change at the acromion was not associated with it.
