Association of Preoperative Vitamin D Deficiency With Retear Rate and Early Pain After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Abstract

Background: Although the function of vitamin D in bone metabolism has been well studied, the question remains whether vitamin D deficiency impairs tendon healing after rotator cuff repair. Purpose: To investigate the correlation between preoperative vitamin D deficiency and the retear rate and pain after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: Patients with full-thickness rotator cuff tears who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair between January 2018 and August 2019 were enrolled. Included patients were divided into a control group (vitamin D level ≥20 μg/L) and a deficiency group (vitamin D level <20 μg/L). We investigated the association between preoperative vitamin D level and patient characteristics, MRI findings, pain and function scores (visual analog scale [VAS] for pain; Constant-Murley; University of California, Los Angeles; and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores), and healing status using the Pearson or Spearman correlation coefficient. The clinical characteristics were compared between the groups using the chi-square test or Fisher exact test. Results: Included were 89 patients (control group, 44 patients; deficiency group, 45 patients). The mean vitamin D levels were 25.07 ± 5.38 and 14.61 ± 3.43 μg/L in the control and deficiency groups, respectively (P