Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34905067›Full record

ArticleArchives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery2022

Treatment of partial rotator cuff lesions is associated with a higher frequency of post-operative shoulder stiffness. A prospective investigation on the role of surgery-related risk factors for this complication.

Davide Cucchi, Alessandra Menon, Sonia Maggi, Francesca Maria Feroldi, Annalisa De Silvestri, Max Julian Friedrich, Matthias Dominik Wimmer, Pietro Simone Randelli

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Archives of orthopaedic and trauma surgery, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 7 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
7citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
0.8field-weighted citation impact, top 25% of its field
1 · What the graph read from 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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

7 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 10 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Pooled it
  2. Trial
  3. Article
  4. Minimal Stiffness After Rotator Cuff Repair With Bioinductive Collagen Implants.Journal of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Global research & reviews · 2025
    Article
  5. Article
  6. Article
  7. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

8 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.

Davide Cucchi *Department of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany. d.cucchi@gmail.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6284-7977
Alessandra Menon *Laboratory of Applied Biomechanics, Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 31, 20133, Milan, Italy.
Sonia MaggiUniversità degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 31, 20133, Milan, Italy.
Francesca Maria FeroldiUniversità degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 31, 20133, Milan, Italy.
Annalisa De SilvestriBiometry and Clinical Epidemiology, Scientific Direction, IRCCS San Matteo Hospital Foundation, Pavia, Italy.
Max Julian FriedrichDepartment of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany.
Matthias Dominik WimmerDepartment of Orthopaedics and Trauma Surgery, Universitätsklinikum Bonn, Venusberg-Campus 1, 53127, Bonn, Germany.
Pietro Simone RandelliLaboratory of Applied Biomechanics, Department of Biomedical Sciences for Health, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Mangiagalli 31, 20133, Milan, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-9331-820X
University of Milan · ITUniversity Hospital Bonn · DEIstituti di Ricovero e Cura a Carattere Scientifico · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposePost-operative shoulder stiffness (SS) is a common complication after arthroscopic rotator cuff (RC) repair. The aim of this prospective study is to evaluate the role of surgical risk factors in the development of this complication, with special focus on the characteristics of the RC tears.

methodsTwo-hundred and twenty patients who underwent arthroscopic RC repair for degenerative posterosuperior RC tears were included. Surgery-related risk factors for development of post-operative SS belonging to the following five categories were documented and analyzed: previous surgery, RC tear characteristics, hardware and repair type, concomitant procedures, time and duration of surgery. The incidence of post-operative SS was evaluated according to the criteria described by Brislin and colleagues.

resultsThe incidence of post-operative SS was 8.64%. The treatment of partial lesions by tear completion and repair technique was significantly associated with development of post-operative SS (p = 0.0083, pc = 0.04). A multivariate analysis revealed that treatment of partial lesions in patients younger than 60 years was associated to a higher risk of developing post-operative SS (p = 0.007). Previously known pre-operative risk factors such as female sex and younger age were confirmed. No other significant associations were documented.

conclusionThe treatment of partial lesions of the RC may lead to a higher risk of post-operative SS than the treatment of complete lesions, in particular in patients younger than 60 years. Possible explanations of this finding are the increased release of pro-inflammatory cytokines caused by the additional surgical trauma needed to complete the lesion and the different pain perception of the subgroup of patients who require surgical treatment already for partial tears. EVIDENCE: A higher risk of post-operative SS should be expected after tear completion and repair of partial lesions, especially in young patients. Appropriate pre-operative counseling and post-operative rehabilitation should be considered when approaching this subgroup of RC tears. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Prognostic study, level II.

Indexed as

Joint DiseasesRotator Cuff InjuriesArthroscopyCytokinesFemaleHumansProspective StudiesRange of Motion, ArticularRisk FactorsRotator CuffRuptureShoulderTreatment OutcomeCytokinesAdhesive capsulitisArthroscopyFrozen shoulderPartial tearRotator cuff repairShoulderShoulder stiffness

Identifiers

PMID34905067
PMCPMC9522663
OpenAlexW4200552372

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.