Predictability of Early Postoperative Ultrasonography After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair

Abstract

The predictability of early postoperative ultrasonography (USG) for evaluating the structural integrity of repaired rotator cuffs is still unclear. The aim of this study was to compare the predictability of early USG performed 3 and 6 months postoperatively with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed 1 year after arthroscopic cuff repair for structural failure. Among 213 patients who had arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery in 2013, one hundred thirty-eight patients who underwent USG between 3 and 6 months postoperatively and MRI at 1 year postoperatively were enrolled; the postoperative MRI findings were the reference standard used for the comparison. One hundred one patients who were examined using USG at 3 months postoperatively were allocated to group A, and 108 patients who had USG at 6 months postoperatively were allocated to group B. All diagnostic values, including positive and negative predictabilities, were calculated by 2-way tables. To compare the sensitivity and specificity between groups A and B, the area under the curve was calculated from the receiver operator characteristic curve for each group. The positive predictability values were 86.36% and 93.51% for USG at 3 and 6 months postoperatively, respectively. The negative values were 84.21% and 95.83%, respectively. The areas under the receiver operator characteristic curves for groups A and B were 0.853 and 0.947, respectively (P=.048). Although the predictability of a single USG at 3 months postoperatively reached approximately 85%, USG evaluation at 6 months postoperatively might be relevant for predicting structural failure after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.