Resolution of Sleep Disturbance and Improved Functional Outcomes After Rotator Cuff Repair

Background: Most patients experience sleep disturbances before rotator cuff repair, with these symptoms largely improving postoperatively. However, the relationship between the resolution or persistence of sleep disturbance and patient-reported outcomes after rotator cuff repair remains unknown.

Purpose: To compare outcomes after rotator cuff repair between patients who reported a preoperative sleep disturbance and those who did not. Outcomes at various time points after surgery were also assessed in relation to the persistence or resolution of sleep disturbance.

Study design: Case-control study; Level of evidence, 3.

Methods: Patients undergoing primary arthroscopic rotator cuff repair at a tertiary academic center were prospectively enrolled in a registry database. Patient characteristics were obtained preoperatively and validated patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs) were obtained pre- and postoperatively, including the visual analog scale for pain, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation, Simple Shoulder Test, and Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey Physical and Mental components. Sleep disturbance was evaluated via responses to Simple Shoulder Test question 2. Patients with and without sleep disturbance were compared before and after surgery.

Results: In total, 293 patients were prospectively enrolled. A total of 262 (89.8%) patients reported a sleep disturbance preoperatively. Of these, 221 (84.4%) reported a resolution of sleep disturbance by 2 years postoperatively. After adjustment for age, workers' compensation status, and Cofield tear size, patients with a preoperative sleep disturbance reported significantly worse baseline PROMs, apart from the Veterans RAND 12-Item Health Survey Mental component, before surgery. However, postoperatively, these patients had greater improvement in PROMs, and no significant remaining differences were seen at follow-up between patients with and without preoperative sleep disturbance. Among patients who reported a preoperative sleep disturbance, those whose symptoms resolved postoperatively had superior PROM scores as well as significantly greater improvements from preoperative baseline values compared with patients with persistent sleep disturbances after surgery.

Conclusion: Patients with preoperative sleep disturbances reported worse baseline functional scores before rotator cuff repair compared with patients without sleep disturbance. These disturbances largely resolved after surgery, with postoperative outcomes comparable with those of patients who reported no preoperative sleep concerns. Patients whose sleep disturbances resolved postoperatively also reported superior PROM scores compared with patients whose sleep disturbances persisted postoperatively.