The impact of aging on rotator cuff tear size

INTRODUCTION: The aim of our study was to establish if aging influences rotator cuff tear size. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied 586 consecutive patients (280 M, 306 F) mean age 59 years old (range 46-73) who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Tear size was determined during surgery. For the purpose of our study, patients were divided into two groups based on age older than 60 years. A multinomial logistic regression model was applied to explore the association between age older than 60 years and tear size. We used the ANCOVA method to determine whether the aging influences the severity of the tear. All analyses were adjusted for gender. RESULTS: Age older than 60 years was associated with a twofold higher overall risk of tear occurrence (OR = 2.12, 95 % CI 1.44-3.01). While no association was detected between age older than 60 years and the probability of a small tear (OR = 0.58, 95 % CI 0.27-1.07), subjects older than 60 years were twice more likely to experience a large tear (OR = 2.29, 95 %CI 1.51-3.27) and three times more likely to experience a massive tear (OR = 3.09, 95 % CI 2.07-5.38) as opposed to younger subjects. Mean age significantly increased from small tear (53.8 years) to large tear (66.8 years) to massive tear (69.4 years) patients (ANCOVA: F(2, 437) = 16.487, p = 1.51 x 10(-7)). DISCUSSION: We found a significantly older mean age in patients with a more severe tear. Our data provide and confirm evidence that aging is a significant risk factor for the occurrence and severity of rotator cuff tears.