Concomitant Arthroscopic Superior Labral and Rotator Cuff Repair: A Systematic Review.

Background: The aim of this study was to systematically review the literature on concomitant repair of superior labral and rotator cuff tears, in light of the paucity of published clinical evidence.

Methods: A Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses compliant search of PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases was performed for clinical studies of patients undergoing combined repairs of the rotator cuff and superior labrum.

Results: Ten studies comprising 241 shoulders were included, with a mean age of 52.6 years and mean follow-up of 29.0 months; 67.9% were male patients. Functional outcomes included the mean postoperative American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Score of 88.6, University of California at Los Angeles Shoulder Score of 30.6, constant score of 90.4, Simple Shoulder Test score of 8.6, and visual analog scale score of 1.1. Range of motion outcomes demonstrated mean postoperative forward flexion of 159°, external rotation of 68°, and internal rotation of 17°. The overall return-to-play rate was 76.8%, with 67.9% returning to preinjury level. The overall complication rate was 4.1% with an 18.9% rate of rotator cuff retear and 2.4% reoperation rate.

Conclusion: Arthroscopic concomitant repair of superior labral and rotator cuff tears results in good functional outcomes and range of motion, along with a low reoperation rate. Among athletes, there are moderate rates of return but lower rates of return to the same level of play.

Level of evidence: Therapeutic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.