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Background:Rotator cuff repair is one of the most common surgical procedures performed on the shoulder. Previous studies have indicated that pain and disability can vary significantly between patients with similarly appearing rotator cuff tears on diagnostic imaging. Prior literature has compared functional outcomes between operative and nonoperative treatments as well as variability in surgical techniques. However, few studies have examined postoperative outcomes based on patient factors such as sex.Purpose:To compare patient-reported outcomes after rotator cuff repair between men and women.Study Design:Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2.Methods:A total of 283 patients (153 male, 130 female) who underwent primary arthroscopic rotator cuff repair were included in this study; of those, 275 patients (97.2%) completed 1-year follow-up. Patient-reported pain visual analog scale (VAS), Veterans RAND 12-item Health Survey (VR-12 mental and physical components), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES), and Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) scores were collected preoperatively and at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively using an electronic outcomes system.Results:Women reported higher VAS pain scores when compared with men preoperatively (P < .01) and at 2 weeks (P < .01), 6 weeks (P < .01), and 3 months (P = .02) postoperatively. Additionally, women experienced a greater overall change in the mean VAS score preoperatively when compared with 1 year postoperatively (P < .01). The use of narcotic pain medication 2 weeks after surgery was greater in women (P = .032). Women had significantly lower preoperative VR-12 mental scores (P = .03) and experienced a greater increase in the mean VR-12 mental score preoperatively when compared with 1 year postoperatively (P < .01). Men had higher ASES scores preoperatively (P < .01) and at 3 months postoperatively (P < .01). Women experienced a greater overall change in the ASES score preoperatively when compared with 1 year postoperatively (P < .01).Conclusion:Women reported greater pain and decreased shoulder function compared with men during the initial 3 months after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. There were no sex-based differences in patient-reported outcomes at 1-year follow-up. The results of this study indicate that there are sex-related differences in the early postoperative recovery of patients undergoing rotator cuff repair, contributing to postoperative expectations for both clinicians and patients alike.

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a leading cause of chronic disability whose mechanism of pathogenesis is largely elusive. Local inflammation is thought to play a key role in OA progression, especially in injury-associated OA. While multiple inflammatory cytokines are detected, the timing and extent of overall inflammatory activities in early OA and the manner by which joint inflammation correlates with cartilage structural damage are still unclear. We induced OA via destabilization of the medial meniscus (DMM) in NFκB luciferase reporter mice, whose bioluminescent signal reflects the activity of NFκB, a central mediator of inflammation. Bioluminescence imaging data showed that DMM and sham control joints had a similar surge of inflammation at 1-week post-surgery, but the DMM joint exhibited a delay in resolution of inflammation in subsequent weeks. A similar trend was observed with synovitis, which we found to be mainly driven by synovial cell density and inflammatory infiltration rather than synovial lining thickness. Interestingly, an association between synovitis and collagen structural damage was observed in early OA. Using Second Harmonic Generation (SHG) imaging, we analyzed collagen fiber organization in articular cartilage. Zonal differences in collagen fiber thickness and organization were observed as soon as OA initiated after DMM surgery, and persisted over time. Even at 1-week post-surgery, the DMM joint showed a decrease in collagen fiber thickness in the deep zone and an increase in collagen fiber disorganization in the superficial zone. Since we were able detect and quantify collagen structural changes very early in OA development by SHG imaging, we concluded that SHG imaging is a highly sensitive tool to evaluate pathological changes in OA. In summary, this study uncovered a dynamic profile of inflammation and joint cartilage damage during OA initiation and development, providing novel insights into OA pathology.

Sex plays a role in mediating different susceptibilities and outcomes of disease and injury. Sports injuries are included in this phenomenon, as recent research demonstrates that males and females show differences in incidences of varying injuries, presentations of injury, and treatment outcomes. Incidence of certain sports injuries like anterior cruciate ligament injury or patellofemoral pain syndrome may vary widely between male and female athletes, with female athletes being more susceptible to anterior cruciate ligament injury and patellofemoral pain syndrome. Treatment outcomes for males and females may also vary widely. For example, males have a higher risk of recurrent shoulder instability compared with females. These variances among incidence and outcome following certain injuries highlight the necessity of understanding these differences to provide quality care. It is especially important for the school nurse to be aware of these sex differences as they are well positioned to make youth athletes and their families aware of the varying injury susceptibilities among them.