SynthesisJournal of shoulder and elbow surgery2020
Management of irreparable massive rotator cuff tears: a systematic review and meta-analysis of patient-reported outcomes, reoperation rates, and treatment response.
Synthesis in Journal of shoulder and elbow surgery, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 101 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
101 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 200 citations in OpenAlex.
- Clinical Outcomes and Complications of Superior Capsular Reconstruction Versus Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty for Massive Rotator Cuff Tears: A Meta-Analysis.Clinics in orthopedic surgery · 2026Pooled it
- Revision rates and progression to shoulder arthroplasty after arthroscopic repair of massive rotator cuff tears.Knee surgery, sports traumatology, arthroscopy : official journal of the ESSKA · 2025Pooled it
- Superior capsule reconstruction, partial cuff repair, graft interposition, arthroscopic debridement or balloon spacers for large and massive irreparable rotator cuff tears: a systematic review and meta-analysis.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2022Pooled it
- Efficacy of management of associated dysfunctions on rotator cuff and long head of the biceps: systematic review.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2021Pooled it
- Arthroscopic Latissimus Dorsi Transfer in the Lateral Decubitus Position for Irreparable Posterosuperior Massive Rotator Cuff Tears.Arthroscopy techniques · 2026Article
- Combined anterior latissimus dorsi and teres major transfer and superior capsular reconstruction using autogenous biceps tendon for anterosuperior irreparable rotator cuff tears: technical note.Acta orthopaedica et traumatologica turcica · 2026Article
- A Systematic Review of Shoulder Joint Surgeries to Solve Instability and Pain Due to Irreparable Tears of Subscapularis and Supraspinatus Without Arthritis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Review
- High retear rates despite clinical improvement after arthroscopic partial repair for large to massive rotator cuff tears.JSES international · 2026Article
- Arthroscopic repair of posterosuperior massive rotator cuff tears provides good clinical outcomes despite high retear rate in the midterm.JSES international · 2026Article
- An analysis of failure rates for treatment options for large to massive irreparable rotator cuff tears: a systematic review.Journal of shoulder and elbow arthroplasty · 2026Review
- A survey of surgical technique preferences for lower trapezius tendon transfer for functionally irreparable rotator cuff tears.JSES reviews, reports, and techniques · 2026Article
- Long Head of the Biceps Tendon Augmentation in Massive Irreparable Rotator Cuff Tears Offers Good Clinical Results and Pain Relief With a Low Failure Rate.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2026Article
- Polypropylene mesh reinforcement does not improve acute biomechanical properties in superior capsular reconstruction: an ovine model study.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2026Article
- Comparison between allograft and autograft in lower trapezius tendon transfer in irreparable rotator cuff tears: a systematic review.JSES reviews, reports, and techniques · 2026Review
- Dual Transfer, Latissimus Dorsi Transfer Combined with Middle Trapezius Tendon Transfer for Posterosuperior Irreparable Rotator Cuff Tears Without Arthritic Change.Indian journal of orthopaedics · 2026Article
- Incidence and factors associated with reoperation after rotator cuff repair in Korea: A nationwide cohort study.PloS one · 2026Article
- Preoperative testosterone replacement therapy: a potential risk-factor for complications and reoperation after rotator cuff repair.JSES international · 2026Article
- Article
- A novel side-to-side triple-row repair combined with biceps tendon augmentation for massive rotator cuff tears: a case series demonstrating satisfactory short-term outcomes.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Article
- Arthroscopic Biologic Tuberoplasty With Cable Reconstruction: A Technique for Massive Irreparable Rotator Cuff Tears.Arthroscopy techniques · 2025Article
41 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
26 authors at 14 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThere is no consensus on the treatment of irreparable massive rotator cuff tears. The goal of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to (1) compare patient-reported outcome scores, (2) define failure and reoperation rates, and (3) quantify the magnitude of patient response across treatment strategies.
methodsThe MEDLINE, Embase, CENTRAL (Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials), and Scopus databases were searched for studies including physical therapy and operative treatment of massive rotator cuff tears. The criteria of the Methodological Index for Non-randomized Studies were used to assess study quality. Primary outcome measures were patient-reported outcome scores as well as failure, complication, and reoperation rates. To quantify patient response to treatment, we compared changes in the Constant-Murley score and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score with previously reported minimal clinically important difference (MCID) thresholds.
resultsNo level I or II studies that met the inclusion and exclusion criteria were found. Physical therapy was associated with a 30% failure rate among the included patients, and another 30% went on to undergo surgery. Partial repair was associated with a 45% retear rate and 10% reoperation rate. Only graft interposition was associated with a weighted average change that exceeded the MCID for both the Constant-Murley score and ASES score. Latissimus tendon transfer techniques using humeral bone tunnel fixation were associated with a 77% failure rate. Superior capsular reconstruction with fascia lata autograft was associated with a weighted average change that exceeded the MCID for the ASES score. Reverse arthroplasty was associated with a 10% prosthesis failure rate and 8% reoperation rate.
conclusionThere is a lack of high-quality comparative studies to guide treatment recommendations. Compared with surgery, physical therapy is associated with less improvement in perceived functional outcomes and a higher clinical failure rate.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.