Outcomes of Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair in Patients Aged 70 Years or Older

Purpose: To evaluate outcomes of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in patients aged 70 years or older.

Methods: We identified 44 consecutive patients aged 70 years or older undergoing primary all-arthroscopic repair of symptomatic full-thickness tears of the rotator cuff. A minimum 2-year follow-up was performed by an independent examiner including range of motion and dynamometer strength testing, and shoulder functional outcome scores including the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, Simple Shoulder Test score, and pain score on a visual analog scale were determined. Paired t tests were performed to compare preoperative and postoperative measures. Postoperative Constant-Murley scores were normalized with scores from age- and sex-matched healthy individuals.

Results: Of the patients, 39 (88.6%) were available for follow-up evaluation, with a mean age of 75.3 ± 4.2 years (range, 70.1 to 89.8 years) and a mean follow-up of 36.1 ± 9.9 months (range, 24.3 to 59.4 months). The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score improved from 45.8 ± 16.6 (mean ± SD) to 87.5 ± 14.4 at final follow-up (P < .0001). The Simple Shoulder Test score improved from 3.9 ± 2.3 to 9.8 ± 2.5 (P < .0001). The pain score on the visual analog scale improved from 4.6 ± 2.2 to 0.5 ± 0.9 (P < .0001), and forward elevation increased from 114.8° ± 42.0° to 146.2° ± 33.2° (P = .0012). Mean age- and sex-matched normalized Constant-Murley scores ranged from 88.3% to 97.2% of normal in men and 81.7% to 88.8% of normal in women.

Conclusions: Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair provides significant improvement in pain and function in carefully selected patients aged 70 years or older with symptomatic full-thickness rotator cuff tears and has a low complication rate.

Level Of Evidence: Level IV, therapeutic case series.