Comparing the Outcomes Between Rotator Cuff Repair With and Without Suprascapular Nerve Decompression

The University of Chicago

Status: Completed

Conditions: Rotator Cuff Tear

Treatments: Procedure: Rotator Cuff Repair with Suprascapular Nerve decompression; Procedure: Rotator Cuff Repair without Suprascapular Nerve decompression

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT02107573

IRB13-0099

Details and patient eligibility

About

The purpose of the study is to compare the differences in outcome between the traditional rotator cuff repair surgery and rotator cuff repair with suprascapular nerve decompression surgery.

Full description

The suprascapular nerve is intimately related to the function and likely recovery of the rotator cuff musculature. Retracted rotator cuff tears have recently been shown to effect both the physical path in which the suprascapular nerve travels, as well as its physiologic function.

This study will be a randomized control trial with long term follow up that will add to and elaborate on the positive outcomes reported in other trials. Patients that have a rotator cuff tears with greater than or equal to 1 cm of retraction that have failed conservative treatment and require operative repair will qualify for the study. They will be randomized into two arms: In one arm, patients will undergo suprascapular nerve release immediately after their rotator cuff repair; they will be compared to patients that have rotator cuff repair with no release of the nerve. Post operatively, at different time intervals, patients will be expected to fill out multiple standardized, well established surveys that assess the patients pain level and shoulder function.

Enrollment: 36 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Reparable full thickness supraspinatus and or infraspinatus rotator cuff tears regardless of retraction

Exclusion criteria

• Patients less than 18 years of age
• Irreparable rotator cuff tears

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: Single Blind

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36 participants in 2 patient groups

Rotator cuff repair without Suprascapular Nerve decompression

Active Comparator group

Description:

approximately 17 subjects in the study will receive traditional rotator cuff repair surgical intervention with no suprascapular nerve decompression surgical intervention

Treatment:

Procedure: Rotator Cuff Repair without Suprascapular Nerve decompression

Rotator Cuff Repair with Suprascapular Nerve decompression

Active Comparator group

Description:

approximately 17 subjects in the study will undergo rotator cuff repair with arthroscopic suprascapular nerve decompression surgical intervention

Treatment:

Procedure: Rotator Cuff Repair with Suprascapular Nerve decompression