Factors associated with long head of the biceps tendon tear severity and predictive insights for grade II tears in rotator cuff surgery

Abstract

Background In rotator cuff repair, the long head of the biceps tendon (LHB) is commonly used as graft material. However, factors influencing LHB tear severity are poorly understood, and predicting grade II LHB tears is challenging. This study aimed to identify these factors preoperatively. Methods The demographics, medical parameters, and pain severity of 750 patients who underwent arthroscopic surgery from January 2010 to February 2021 were evaluated to determine the factors associated with LHB tear severity and grade II tears. Both overall and large-to-massive rotator cuff tear (RCT) cohorts underwent ordinal and binary logistic regression analyses. Predictive accuracy for grade II LHB tears was determined using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results In the overall cohort, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) >1 mg/L (P1 mg/L, subscapularis tear, and Patte retraction degree were significantly associated with grade II LHB tears (P1 mg/L, hypertension, and age ≥50 years (P1 mg/L (P1 mg/L demonstrated good predictive accuracy for grade II LHB tears (AUCs: 0.72 and 0.70). Conclusions Serum hs-CRP >1 mg/L is associated with LHB tear severity and serves as a reliable predictor of grade II LHB tears, facilitating preoperative assessment of the LHB as potential graft material in arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Level of Evidence III

Keywords

• long head biceps tendon tear
• tear severity
• associated factors
• high-sensitivity c-reactive protein