Mid-Term Functional Outcomes Of Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair In Patients With Or Without Frozen Shoulder: A Single-Center Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Rotator cuff tear (RCT) accompanied by frozen shoulder is a challenge for orthopedic surgeons as RCTs are often treated with surgical repair which need protection of repair, whereas the treatment for frozen shoulder is physical therapy to restore the range of motion of the shoulder joint. There is no consensus for the ideal treatment if those pathologies occur at the same time. The primary aim of the study is to compare the mid-term functional surgical outcomes of RCT repair in patients with or without frozen shoulder. Patients who underwent arthroscopic repair for full-thickness RCT in our institution between January 2021 and January 2023 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into two groups: with or without frozen shoulder at the time of arthroscopic repair. Patients with frozen shoulder underwent manipulation under general anesthesia and their rotator interval was released with a radiofrequency prior to RCT repair. Patients’ visual analog pain score (VAS), Constant score, ASES score, and University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) scores were compared at their latest follow-up. A total of 39 patients (19 frozen and 20 non-frozen shoulders) with a mean 23.9 ± 2.7 months of follow-up were included in the study. At the latest follow-up, there was no statistical difference in frozen and non-frozen groups in the mean VAS, ASES, UCLA, and Constant scores. The findings of the present study suggest that preoperative frozen shoulder does not have a negative impact on arthroscopic RCT repair, if frozen shoulder pathology is addressed during surgery.