Postoperative outcomes and rehabilitation period of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in patients with diabetes

Abstract

AIM: Diabetic patients increase today, and postoperative joint contractures are often seen as well. In this study, we compared the postoperative outcomes of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) and duration of rehabilitation intervention between DM and non-DM patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS: In total, 231 patients who underwent ARCR were included in this study (DM patients, 58; non-DM patients 173). The mean age of all subjects was 63.8±11.0(SD) years. We compared the two groups in terms of the pre and postoperative University of California Los Angeles  (UCLA) and Japan Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores, flexion angles at  postoperative 3 months and at the end of rehabilitation, and the duration of rehabilitation. RESULTS: No significant differences were observed between the two groups in terms of UCLA and JOA scores determined 6 months and 1 year postoperatively and MRI-based ARCR levels 3 months, 6 months and 1 year postoperatively. The flexion angle at the end of rehabilitation did not differ significantly between the DM group 148.1 ± 16.6 (SD) °and the non DM group 153.3 ± 11.8 (SD) °, and they were similar values. Rehabilitation required an average of 7.5±3.3(SD) months and 5.3±1.5(SD) months in the DM and non-DM groups, and a significant difference was observed between the 2 groups. CONCLUSION: Preoperative and postoperative UCLA and JOA scores did not significantly differ between the two groups. The DM group required a rehabilitation period of about 2 months compared to the non DM group.

Level of evidence: LevelⅢ, Retrospective comparative study