Reassessment of Fatty Infiltration by Magnetic Resonance Ten Years After Rotator Cuff Injury Repair

Abstract

Quantitative assessments of rotator cuff muscle changes after successful tendon repair are scarce. On the other hand, semiquantitative and subjective assessments are more abundant, but their findings are controversial. One hypothesis about this divergence is that there is an immediate decrease in the proportion of fatty infiltration after surgical repair. Objective: Reassess fatty infiltration and muscle trophism of the rotator cuff after ten years of repair. Methods: Prospective comparison study. A total of 10 patients diagnosed with rotator cuff injury underwent repair of the lesion, and MRI of the affected shoulder was performed in the preoperative, immediate postoperative, and late postoperative periods (ten years). A comparative study was performed at every moment. Results: At 5% significance level, the mean of the immediate postoperative period was higher for the variable trophism and true muscle percentage. Fatty infiltration showed no difference in the three periods observed. Conclusion: Fatty infiltration does not change in the three periods evaluated and muscle trophism is greater in the immediate postoperative period. After ten years of rotator cuff repair, muscle trophism and fatty infiltration remain with statistically significantly equal results when compared to the preoperative period. Level of Evidence II, Prospective Comparison Study.