Multiple surgical treatment comparisons for irreparable rotator cuff tears: A network meta-analysis

Abstract

Background: To evaluate the effect of different surgical methods in the treatment of patients with irreparable rotator cuff tears (IRCTs) using a network meta-analysis.

Methods: A search of the PubMed, EMbase, The Cochrane Library, VIP, WanFang Data, and CNKI databases was performed in January 2023 to search for randomized controlled trials and cohort studies of different surgical methods in the treatment of IRCTs. Risk assessment of the included randomized controlled trials was conducted using the risk of bias assessment tool recommended by the Cochrane Manual, and the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale was used for the risk assessment of cohort studies. Data were analyzed and plotted using Stata 15.0 software.

Results: A total of 17 studies involving 2123 patients and 10 surgical methods were included in this study. According to the surface under the cumulative ranking curve, the probability ranking in descending order is latissimus dorsi transfer (LDT) + partial repair > LDT > reverse total shoulder arthroplasty > superior capsular reconstruction > patch > partial repair > debridement + tenotomy of the long head of the biceps > debridement > in space subacromial balloon spacer + tenotomy of the long head of the biceps > in space subacromial balloon spacer.

Conclusion: Among the multiple surgical treatments for patients with IRCTs, LDT + partial repair may have the best effect, and more randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes are needed for further verification.