Reoperated Cases after a Rotator Cuff Repair

Abstract

[Purpose] To analyze the factors correlating to a reoperation after a cuff repair, we examined the patients' backgrounds and their operative findings of the first and second operations and the operative procedures.
[Materials and methods] Rotator cuff repairs on 562 shoulders were done from 1976 to 1997 in our hospital, and 26 shoulders in 25 patients were reoperated because of poor results. Tears were classified according to the size, large, which involved two tendons, small, which involved one tendon, and the remainder incomplete. Those shoulders without any reoperation were used as the control. The re operation rate was investigated in each group.
[Results] There were 23 males a nd three females in the reoperated group, the rate of the male was significantly higher then that of the control group. Five shoulders had a large tear,9 shoulders had a small one, and 12 had a incomplete one. The reoperation rate of large tears was 5.2% (12/117), that of small tears was 2.6% (9/348), and that of incomplete tears was 10.2% (5/97). The reoperation rate after a McLaughlin proceure was 5.8% (17/274), and the rate after a Debeyre procedure was 18.6%(3/13). Four shoulders (80%) with a large cuff tear were reoperated within 6 months after the first operations. Another cuff tear was often found in the incomplete tear group at the second operation.
[Conculosion] The reoperation rate of shoulders with an incomplete tear was significa ntly higher than those of the other two groups.