Risk factors for the development of degenerative changes among patients undergoing rotator cuff repair: A systematic review

Background: Osteoarthritis (OA) of the glenohumeral joint results in significant pain and functional limitations. It is unclear which risk factors increase the risk of developing glenohumeral OA amongst Rotator Cuff Repair (RCR) patients. The purpose of this systematic review was to examine the risk factors which may contribute to the development of osteoarthritic changes post-operatively. Methods: MEDLINE, Embase, and PubMed databases were searched to identify studies reporting on demographics of patients who develop OA following RCR. Results: Seventeen articles were identified investigating a total of 1292 patients. The overall quality of evidence was low. Pooled assessment of OA incidence following RCR at minimum 5 years follow-up found 26% of patients developed OA. Patients requiring revision surgery following retears developed OA at a rate of 29%. Surgical technique and patient demographics may also contribute to degenerative changes. Discussion: This review found correlations between the aforementioned risk factors and glenohumeral joint degeneration at long-term follow-up after RCR. These findings suggest that future long-term studies should aim to identify prognostic factors that may place a patient at increased risk of developing OA. Such data can be used to counsel patients with respect to long-term outcomes following surgical intervention.