Future Research
Recommendations for further research:
- Primary evidence is needed, comparing the effectiveness of early versus delayed surgery, nonoperative versus operative interventions, and among the nonoperative treatment options. Future research examining the comparative effectiveness of open, mini-open, or arthroscopic approaches is also a priority, as arthroscopic procedures are more costly and technically difficult.
- All future studies should employ a comparison or control group and should ensure comparability of treatment groups, optimally through the use of randomization.
- Future research should seek to minimize bias by blinding outcome assessors, using validated and standardized outcome assessment instruments, and ensuring adequate allocation concealment (where applicable) and the appropriate handling and reporting of missing data.
- Studies examining the long-term effectiveness of treatments over the course of several years are needed; at the very least, studies should follow patients for a minimum of 12 months.
- To avoid numerous studies on disparate interventions, the interventions and comparisons chosen for study should be guided by consensus regarding the most promising and/or controversial interventions.
- To ensure consistency and comparability across future studies, consensus is needed on outcomes that are important to both clinicians and patients. Moreover, consensus on minimal clinically important differences is needed to guide study design and interpretation of results.
- To permit the appropriate interpretation of results, future research needs to be reported in a consistent and comprehensive manner.
Source: Summary of strength of evidence for nonoperative and operative interventions for RC tears
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