Socioeconomic and Other Risk Factors for Retear after Arthroscopic Surgery for Nontraumatic Rotator Cuff Tear

Jung Sub Lee; Kuen Tak Suh; Won Chul Shin; Jung Yun Bae; Tae Sik Goh; Sung Won Jung; Min-Hyeok Choi; Suk-Woong Kang

doi:10.3390/medicina60040640

Socioeconomic and Other Risk Factors for Retear after Arthroscopic Surgery for Nontraumatic Rotator Cuff Tear

Medicina (Kaunas). 2024 Apr 17;60(4):640. doi: 10.3390/medicina60040640.

Authors

Jung Sub Lee¹, Kuen Tak Suh², Won Chul Shin³, Jung Yun Bae³, Tae Sik Goh¹, Sung Won Jung³, Min-Hyeok Choi^{4

5}, Suk-Woong Kang³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Orthopedics, Research Institute for Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Pusan National University Hospital, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Busan 49241, Republic of Korea.
² Department of Orthopedics, Sehung Hospital, Busan 47250, Republic of Korea.
³ Department of Orthopedics, Research Institute for Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Pusan National University Hospital, Pusan National Yangsan University School of Medicine, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea.
⁴ Department of Preventive and Occupational Medicine, Research Institute for Convergence of Biomedical Science and Technology, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea.
⁵ Office of Public Health Service, Pusan National University Yangsan Hospital, Pusan National University School of Medicine, Yangsan 50612, Republic of Korea.

Abstract

Background and Objectives: Few studies have investigated the socioeconomic factors associated with retear after rotator cuff repair. This study aimed to identify the risk factors, including socioeconomic factors, for rotator cuff retear in patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 723 patients diagnosed with full-thickness rotator cuff tears who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair from March 2010 to March 2021. The outcome variable was rotator cuff retear observed on postoperative magnetic resonance imaging or ultrasonography. Sex, age, obesity, diabetes, symptom duration, and tear size were the independent variables. Socioeconomic variables included occupation, educational level, type of medical insurance, and area of residence. We compared patients with and without retear and estimated the effects of the independent factors on retear risk. Results: The mean age of the patients, symptom duration, and tear size were 62.4 ± 8.0 years, 1.8 ± 1.7 years, and 21.8 ± 12.5 mm, respectively. The age, type of medical insurance, diabetes, tear size, and symptom duration differed significantly between patients with and without retearing (p < 0.05). Age, occupation, type of medical insurance, diabetes, initial tear size, and symptom duration significantly affected the risk of retear. Patients who performed manual labor had a significantly higher retear rate (p = 0.005; OR, 1.95; 95% CI, 1.23-3.11). The highest retear risk was seen in patients with Medicaid insurance (p < 0.001; OR, 4.34; 95% CI, 2.09-9.02). Conclusions: Age, initial tear size, and symptom duration significantly affect retear risk after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Occupation and type of medical insurance were also risk factors for retear. Socioeconomically vulnerable patients may be at a greater risk of retear. Proactive efforts are required to expand early access to medical care.

Keywords: arthroscopic surgery; nontraumatic rotator cuff tear; retear; risk factors; socioeconomic factors.

MeSH terms

Aged
Arthroscopy* / methods
Arthroscopy* / statistics & numerical data
Female
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Middle Aged
Retrospective Studies
Risk Factors
Rotator Cuff Injuries* / surgery
Socioeconomic Factors*

Grants and funding

This research received no external funding.