Cigarette smokers have an increased risk of experiencing rotator cuff tears in their shoulders than their tobacco-free counterparts, according to study results presented today at the 72nd Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Previous studies analyzed the correlation between tobacco use and musculoskeletal injuries, but did not focus specifically on the impact smoking has on this unilateral shoulder injury.
A team of researchers from the Washington University School of Medicine - Barnes Jewish Hospital interviewed 586 patients ages 18 years and older who had a diagnostic shoulder ultrasound for shoulder pain with no prior history of shoulder surgery. Of this group, 375 patients had a rotator cuff tear and 211 patients did not.
Lead author of the study, Keith M. Baumgarten, MD, orthopaedic surgeon at the Hospital for Special Surgery, New York City, and his team from Washington University developed a standardized questionnaire that was administered to all 586 patients to determine the demographic, medical, pharmaceutical and lifestyle factors that may pose an increased risk for rotator cuff tears. Patients who did, indeed, have rotator cuff tears were compared to patients without this injury to determine if there was any correlation between rotator cuff tears and demographic risk factors.
"Our questionnaire data show that significantly more patients with rotator cuff tears had a history of daily tobacco smoking compared to patients without rotator cuff tears," said Dr. Baumgarten. "Patients with rotator cuff tears were also more likely to have smoked regularly within the ten years before arriving at our clinic for evaluation of their shoulder pain. This data clearly suggests that tobacco use increases the risk for rotator cuff tears."
The study demonstrated a dose-dependent relationship between tobacco use and rotator cuff tears, since patients with rotator cuff tears had a statistically significant increase in 1) the average number of packs of tobacco consumed per day; 2) the duration of smoking history; and 3) the average number of pack-years of tobacco use.