Superior capsular reconstruction vs. Latissimus dorsi transfer for posterosuperior irreparable rotator cuff tears without arthritic change: Mid-term Crossover study.

BACKGROUND

Latissimus dorsi transfer (LDT) is a well-known tendon-transfer technique with long-term clinical follow-up results, whereas superior capsular reconstruction (SCR) has recently emerged as a treatment option for posterosuperior irreparable rotator cuff tears (PSIRCTs). However, only a few small short-term comparative studies have evaluated SCR and LDT. We evaluated the clinical and radiological outcomes of SCR and LDT in PSIRCTs without arthritic changes.

METHODS

This retrospective clinical comparative study evaluated patients who underwent SCR or LDT for PSIRCTs and had a mid-term (at least 5 years) follow-up. 28 patients in the SCR group and 31 in the LDT group were included. The visual analog scale (VAS) score, patient-reported clinical outcome scores, and active range of motion (aROM) were used for assessing clinical outcomes. The radiologic outcomes including progression of glenohumeral osteoarthritis and graft integrity were evaluated using Hamada grade and Sugaya classification, respectively.

RESULTS

Significant improvements in VAS scores and aROM were observed in both groups. The LDT group reported significant improvements in all patient-reported outcome scores. However, SCR group showed no significant improvement in patient-reported outcome scores except for American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score. In radiologic outcomes, AHD was significantly decreased, and the Hamada grade was significantly increased postoperatively in both groups. Moreover, the progression of arthritic change was significantly greater in the LDT group, while the rate of graft retear was markedly higher in the SCR group.

CONCLUSIONS

Although both SCR and LDT improved clinical outcomes, LDT was superior to SCR in terms of patient-reported outcome scores. However, progression of osteoarthritis is more common in LDT whereas graft retear is more common in SCR. Therefore, SCR or LDT could be considered as a surgical treatment in PSIRCTs without arthritic changes, but clinical outcomes as well as complications (osteoarthritis and graft re-tear) must be considered.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

Level of evidence, III.