A Prospective Study of Patient Factors and Decision-making for Surgical Repair of Symptomatic Full-Thickness Rotator Cuff Tears

Factors motivating patients to undergo rotator cuff repair (RCR) have not been thoroughly investigated. The purpose of this study was to investigate patient and surgeon decision-making factors for RCR, as well as the use of conservative treatment, and their relationship with shoulder function. A total of 144 adult patients undergoing arthroscopic RCR completed a 13-item questionnaire assessing the importance of surgical decision-making factors. Preoperative conservative treatments were also recorded. Surgeons also completed a similar 5-item questionnaire assessing surgeon decision-making factors preoperatively. American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) functional outcome scores were collected preoperatively through 1 year postoperatively. The following factors received the greatest frequency of high-importance scores: limited shoulder function (80.6%), surgeon recommendation (79.2%), and daily chronic pain (76.4%). Among surgeons, patient activity (83.3%) and risk of tear progression (73.6%) received the greatest frequency of high-importance scores. Patients had worse preoperative ASES scores when they reported the following factors as highly important: limited shoulder function, daily chronic pain, concern for tear enlargement, inability to sleep, and failure of conservative management (P<.004). Female gender, corticosteroid injection, and opioid use were also associated with worse preoperative shoulder function (P<.01). Workers' compensation claims, preoperative physical therapy, and multiple corticosteroid injections were associated with worse postoperative ASES scores (P<.05). Limitations in shoulder function and surgeon recommendation were the most common factors influencing patients to undergo RCR. Multiple factors were associated with worse shoulder function. Surgeons should be cognizant of patient decision-making factors and their relationship with shoulder function. [Orthopedics. 2020; 43(2): 85-90.].