Background: Few reports have so far evaluated the possible restrictions of activities of daily living (ADL) in patients with asymptomatic rotator cuff tears (RCTs). The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of RCTs, including shoulders without pain, on ADL in the general population.
Methods: We performed medical checkups on 462 individuals (924 shoulders). All participants completed a questionnaire regarding their background and medical history. We then assessed their shoulder functions with the Simple Shoulder Test (SST) and performed US (US) examinations of both shoulders to diagnose RCTs. We divided participants into tear and nontear groups and performed statistical analysis to compare total SST scores and each SST item between groups. Furthermore, we performed the same examinations for participants identified as having shoulders without pain.
Results: Among participants, those in the tear group showed significantly lower total SST scores than those in the nontear group. After examining each SST item, a significant difference was observed regarding the ability to sleep comfortably and to lift 3.6 kg to shoulder level. In shoulders without pain, the tear group showed significantly lower total SST scores than the nontear group. A significant difference was observed only regarding the ability to lift 3.6 kg to shoulder level.
Conclusions: In the general population, ADL were restricted in participants with RCTs; they experienced night pain in the shoulder and muscle weakness during shoulder elevation. Furthermore, participants with RCTs, even if the condition itself did not induce any pain, tended to experience muscle weakness during shoulder elevation, thus resulting in restrictions of ADL.