Systematic review and Meta-analysis on acromioplasty in arthroscopic repair of full-thickness rotator cuff tears.

The purpose of this study was to perform a systematic review and meta-analysis including all available randomized controlled trials to determine the role of acromioplasty in arthroscopic repair of full-thickness rotator cuff tears. A literature search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Web of Science. All randomized and quasi-randomized controlled trials evaluating the outcomes of arthroscopic repair of full-thickness rotator cuff tears with or without acromioplasty were included in our meta-analysis. After the studies were selected by two reviewers, data were collected and extracted independently. Data were pooled for American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, Constant-Murley (CM) score, University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA) score, visual analog scale (VAS) for pain and reoperation rate. Five prospective randomized studies involving 465 patients were included. The current meta-analysis did not show any significant difference between acromioplasty and nonacromioplasty groups with regard to the outcomes for ASES score, CM score, UCLA score (P = .17, .05, and .13, respectively). There was also no significant difference in VAS for pain and reoperation rate between the two groups (P = .87, and .57, respectively). On the basis of the currently available evidence, there was no statistically significant difference in clinical outcomes for patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with or without acromioplasty at short-term follow-up.