Superior Capsular Reconstruction Versus Latissimus Dorsi Tendon Transfer for Irreparable Rotator Cuff Tears: Minimum 5-year Outcomes.

Background: Arthroscopic superior capsular reconstruction (SCR) has been introduced as a successful alternative to latissimus dorsi tendon transfer (LDTT) for irreparable posterosuperior rotator cuff tears.
Purpose: To compare minimum 5-year clinical outcomes of SCR and LDTT for the treatment of irreparable posterosuperior rotator cuff tears in patients with minimal evidence of arthritis and intact or reparable subscapularis tears.
Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.
Methods: Patients who underwent SCR or LDTT and had undergone surgery ≥5 years earlier were included. The SCR technique used a dermal allograft customized to the defect. Surgical, demographic, and subjective data were collected prospectively and reviewed retrospectively. Patient-reported outcome (PRO) scores utilized were the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES), Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE), the short version of the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand score (QuickDASH), 12-Item Short Form Health Survey Physical Component Summary (SF-12 PCS), and patient satisfaction. Further surgical procedures were documented, and treatment that progressed to reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) or revision rotator cuff surgery was considered a failure. Kaplan-Meier survivorship analysis was performed.
Results: Thirty patients (n = 20 men; n = 10 women) with a mean follow-up of 6.3 years (range, 5-10.5 years) were included. A total of 13 patients underwent SCR and 17 patients underwent LDTT. The mean age of the SCR group was 56 years (range, 41.2-63.9 years), and the mean age of the LDTT group was 49 years (range, 34.7-57 years) ( P = .006). One patient in the SCR group and 2 patients in the LDTT group progressed to RTSA. Two additional (11.8%) patients in the LDTT group had further surgery-1 had arthroscopic cuff repair and 1 had hardware removal with biopsies. The SCR group demonstrated significantly better ASES (94.1 ± 6.3 vs 72.3 ± 16.4; P = .001), SANE (85.6 ± 8 vs 48.7 ± 19.4; P = .001), QuickDASH (8.8 ± 8.7 vs 24.3 ± 16.5; P = .012), and SF-12 PCS (56.1 ± 2.3 vs 46.5 ± 6; P = .001) PROs at the final follow-up. There was no significant difference between groups in median satisfaction (SCR, 9; LDTT, 8 [ P = .379]). At 5 years, survivorship rates were 91.7% and 81.3% for the SCR and LDTT groups, respectively ( P = .421).
Conclusion: At the final follow-up, SCR yielded superior PROs compared with LDTT for the treatment of massive, irreparable posterosuperior rotator cuff tears despite similar patient satisfaction and survivorship between procedures.
Competing Interests: One or more of the authors has declared the following potential conflict of interest or source of funding: This work was partially funded directly by a private grant from Paul and Lee Schmidt. This research was supported by the Steadman Philippon Research Institute (SPRI), which is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit institution supported financially by private donations and corporate support. The SPRI exercises special care to identify any financial interests or relationships related to the research conducted. During the past calendar year, the SPRI has received grant funding or in-kind donations from Arthrex, DJO, MLB, Ossur, Siemens, Smith & Nephew, and XTRE. S.L. has received grant support from Arthrex and education payments from Arthrex and Smith & Nephew. P.J.M. has received research support from Arthrex, Ossur, Siemens, and Smith & Nephew; consulting fees from Arthrex; and royalties from Arthrex, MedBridge, and Springer; and has stock/stock options in VuMedi. AOSSM checks author disclosures against the Open Payments Database (OPD). AOSSM has not conducted an independent investigation on the OPD and disclaims any liability or responsibility relating thereto.
(© The Author(s) 2023.)