High Rate of Return to CrossFit Training After Arthroscopic Management of Rotator Cuff Tear

Abstract

Background: CrossFit is a conditioning program involving high-intensity exercises performed in rapid, successive repetitions with limited or no recovery time. The shoulder girdle is highly involved in most basic CrossFit training programs. Hypothesis: CrossFit athletes affected by rotator cuff tear may be successfully treated with arthroscopic surgery with a high rate of early return to CrossFit activities. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: Included in this study were athletes participating regularly in CrossFit training who had undergone arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. At a minimum follow-up of 24 months, we compared pre- and postoperative clinical outcome scores, including the Constant Score (CS), the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, and a visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, as well as imaging results. Participants completed a return-to-CrossFit questionnaire at the final follow-up, and changes in laboratory blood test results from preoperative to final follow-up were evaluated for association with outcomes and questionnaire responses. Results: A total of 22 CrossFit athletes (23 shoulders) completed the 24-month follow-up evaluation. Each athlete had undergone single-row rotator cuff tendon repair with additional procedures such as biceps tenodesis. All (100%) athletes returned to intensive CrossFit training at a mean 8.7 ± 3.4 months after surgery (range, 6-15 months). CS and ASES scores improved between preoperative and final follow-up from 73 to 92 (P =.037) and from 71 to 95 (P =.035), respectively; VAS pain score improved from 7.2 preoperatively to 0.8 at final follow-up (P