Article ID: 11783
Purpose: We used a patient-based outcomes evaluation (Simple Shoulder Test) to predict treatment strategies for Japanese patients with a rotator cuff tear.
Methods: Subjects were 229 patients with a rotator cuff tear who provided answers to 12 questions in the Japanese version of the Simple Shoulder Test. Decision tree and propensity score analyses were used to calculate odds ratios.
Results: Patient were grouped according to their responses. Surgical group included patients who had night pain, pain at rest, limited physical mobility, and were unable to work; Conservative therapy group, those who had no night pain, no pain at rest, and were mobile; and Intermediate group those who provided mixed responses to these questions. The odds of patients selecting surgical treatment was 11.50 greater in Surgical group compared to Conservative therapy group and 3.47 greater in Group Surgical group compared to Intermediate group.
Conclusion: Four questions about night pain, pain at rest, mobility, and ability to work were predictive in the patient's selection of treatment and possibly the need for targeted physical therapy from an early stage.
