Comparable clinical and structural outcomes after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in diabetic and non‐diabetic patients

PURPOSE: To compare clinical outcome and rotator cuff integrity after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) in patients with and without diabetes mellitus. METHODS: This retrospective study involved 264 consecutive patients who underwent ARCR from 2012 to 2015. Inclusion criteria were a medium or large-sized tear and a minimum of 1-year follow-up. Clinical outcome measures included range of motion (ROM) and the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) and University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) scores preoperatively and at final follow-up. Rotator cuff retear was evaluated with magnetic resonance imaging at 3 months post-surgery and final follow-up. Diabetic patients with poor control were pre-operatively hospitalized for intensive diabetic control. RESULTS: Our inclusion criteria were met by 30 diabetic patients and 126 non-diabetic patients. Demographic data were not significantly different between the groups, except body mass index (p = 0.021). Preoperative JOA and UCLA scores of the diabetic patients were significantly lower than those of the non-diabetic patients (p < 0.001, and p = 0.006, respectively); however, the scores at final follow-up were not different. ROM was significantly restricted in the diabetic patients before surgery (forward flexion, abduction, internal rotation: p < 0.001, external rotation: p = 0.035), but at the final follow-up, there was no significant difference except for internal rotation (p = 0.005). The retear rate in diabetic patients (23.3%) was not significantly different from that in non-diabetic patients (15.1%). CONCLUSIONS: Diabetic patients who had good perioperative glycemic control showed clinical and structural outcomes comparable to non-diabetic patients after ARCR. Intensive perioperative glycemic control and patient education are recommended for preoperative uncontrolled diabetic patients. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: III.