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Review
. 2025 Nov 26:17585732251395212.
doi: 10.1177/17585732251395212. Online ahead of print.

From tear to repair: A systematic review of frequently asked questions before rotator cuff surgery

Marium Quaunine  1 , Aadam Ahmad  2 , Borna Guevel  3 , Timothy P Davis  1 , Jagwant Singh  1 , Ashley Simpson  4
Affiliations
Review

From tear to repair: A systematic review of frequently asked questions before rotator cuff surgery

Marium Quaunine et al. Shoulder Elbow. .

Abstract

Background: Patient education is essential in managing orthopaedic conditions and enabling shared decision-making. Rotator cuff tears are among the most common shoulder pathologies, but the specific questions patients ask remain unclear. This review identifies frequently asked patient questions about rotator cuff injury and repair to help develop targeted educational resources.

Methods: A systematic search was conducted in April 2025 across PubMed, Embase, and Scopus using terms related to rotator cuff pathology and patient education. After removing duplicates, two reviewers independently screened studies for inclusion. Studies were eligible if they reported patient questions regarding rotator cuff tears or surgery. A narrative synthesis was used to identify and rank the most frequently asked questions.

Results: Of 2298 records, 10 studies met inclusion criteria, yielding 147 unique patient questions. 17 questions appeared in at least three studies, and 10 in seven or more. The top questions included: non-operative treatment options, the nature of rotator cuff repair, surgical outcomes, post-surgical therapy, untreated consequences, recovery time, symptoms, diagnosis, postoperative pain, and surgical risks.

Conclusion: Researchers believe that patients consistently seek information on rotator cuff diagnosis, management, outcomes, and risks. This review offers an evidence-based framework to improve patient education materials and support informed decision-making.

Keywords: Rotator cuff injury; patient education; rotator cuff repair; rotator cuff tear; systematic review.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declared no potential conflicts of interest with respect to the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
PRISMA flow diagram. PRISMA: Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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