Hand lesion after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: Association with complex regional pain syndrome

It is known that complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) occurs after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR); however, few studies have investigated this complication. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to evaluate CRPS after ARCR. A total of 182 patients who underwent ARCR were enrolled in this study. The average age of patients was 62.8 ± 10.0 years, with an average follow-up period of 21.5 ± 38.1 months. CRPS criteria outlined by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare study team for CRPS in Japan (MHLWJ) and International Association for the Study of Pain (IASP 2005) were utilized for diagnosis. There are two rating systems for the “clinical purpose” and “research purpose” in both criteria, respectively. Clinical outcomes, including Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) and University of California, Los Angeles scores, were evaluated using univariate and multivariate analysis. CRPS exclusively occurred in the hand of the operated limb, developing within 3 months of surgery. Two or more of the following symptoms were noted in patients with the hand lesion associated with CRPS: edema (93.4%), restricted range of motion (83.4%), hyperalgesia (30.1%), paridrosis (20.4%), and atrophic change (12.2%). Under these conditions, the incidences of CRPS were 24.2% (44/182) when evaluated by the MHLWJ rating system for the “clinical purpose;” 11% (22/182) by the MHLWJ rating system for the “research purpose;” 6% (11/182) by the IASP 2005 for the “clinical purpose;” and 0.5% (1/182) by the IASP 2005 for the “research purpose.” Results of multivariate analysis demonstrated that “Function” in the JOA score was a risk factor for the development of CRPS after ARCR, when evaluated by a system for the “clinical purpose” of the MHLWJ. Following ARCR, CRPS-induced hand lesions occur more frequently than is generally believed, thereby suggesting that its impact on surgical outcomes should be clarified in the future.