Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38403732›Full record

ArticleInternational orthopaedics2024

Traumatic rotator cuff injury: does delayed surgery worsen functional outcomes?

Russell de Sa, Abdelmonem Hassan, Emad Soliman, Mustafa Al-Yaseen, Prathamesh Kane, Hussain Selmi, Daoud Makki

Abstract read
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In one paragraph

Article in International orthopaedics, 2024. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 18% 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

3 citing papers in PubMed, 3 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Review
  3. Delayed arthroscopic repair in massive traumatic rotator cuff tears: is it worth repairing?European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie · 2025
    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

7 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Russell de SaDepartment of Trauma & Orthopaedics, West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Hertfordshire, UK. russell.desa@nhs.net.ORCID 0009-0000-5624-3456
Abdelmonem HassanDepartment of Trauma & Orthopaedics, West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Hertfordshire, UK.
Emad SolimanDepartment of Trauma & Orthopaedics, West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Hertfordshire, UK.
Mustafa Al-YaseenDepartment of Trauma & Orthopaedics, West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Hertfordshire, UK.
Prathamesh KaneDepartment of Trauma & Orthopaedics, West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Hertfordshire, UK.
Hussain SelmiDepartment of Trauma & Orthopaedics, West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Hertfordshire, UK.
Daoud MakkiDepartment of Trauma & Orthopaedics, West Hertfordshire Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, Hertfordshire, UK.
West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust · GB

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThe optimal timing of surgery after traumatic rotator cuff tears (RCT) is unclear, with its impact on functional outcomes under debate. This study aimed to review functional outcomes after RCT repair in patients who underwent early vs delayed surgery at our unit.

methodsThis was single-centre retrospective evaluation. Patients with an acute traumatic RCT that underwent repair between 2017 and 2019 and had local follow-up were included and placed into two groups: early surgery (within 6 months from injury) and delayed surgery (more than 6 months from injury). Patient demographics, RCT data and pre- and post-operative (after 12 months) Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) were extracted from medical records. Data was analysed to compare OSS scores between groups, as well as the effect of cuff tear sizes on OSS scores.

resultsForty-nine patients were included in the analysis (15 early, 34 delayed). There were no significant differences in age, sex or cuff tear sizes between groups. No difference was identified in the mean post-operative OSS between early vs delayed groups (40.9 ± 6.34 vs 40.5 ± 7.65, p = 0.86). The mean improvement in OSS after surgery was also similar between groups (22.5 ± 7.81 vs 20.97 ± 7.19, p = 0.498). Having a large or massive RCT did not worsen OSS compared to small or medium RCT (p = 0.44), even when stratified by early or delayed surgery.

conclusionDelayed surgery for traumatic RCT greater than 6 months from injury did not negatively impact long-term functional outcomes at our unit. Patients should be reassured as applicable before surgery in the event of prolonged or unavoidable delays.

Indexed as

LacerationsRotator Cuff InjuriesArthroscopyHumansRange of Motion, ArticularRetrospective StudiesRotator CuffRuptureTreatment OutcomeArthroscopyDelayed surgeryEarly surgeryFunctional outcomesRotator cuff tears

Identifiers

PMID38403732
OpenAlexW4392165332

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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.