Trends in Acromioplasty Utilization During Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: An Epidemiological Study of 139,586 Patients

INTRODUCTION: Acromioplasty remains very common during rotator cuff repair (RCR) despite limited evidence of clinical efficacy. This study observed the incidence of acromioplasty from 2010 to 2018 in Texas using a publicly available database. METHODS: A total of 139,586 records were analyzed from the Texas Healthcare Information Collection database ranging from 2010 to 2018. These cases were divided into those with and without acromioplasty (N = 107,427 and N = 32,159, respectively). Acromioplasty use was standardized as the number of acromioplasties per RCR (acromioplasty rate). Two subgroup analyses were conducted: surgical institution type and payor status. RESULTS: In 2010, acromioplasty occurred in 84% of all RCR cases with nearly continuous decline to 74% by 2018 (P < 0.001). All subgroups followed this pattern except teaching hospitals which displayed insignificant change from 2010 to 2018 (P = 0.99). The odds of receiving acromioplasty in patients with neither Medicare nor Medicaid was higher than those with Medicare or Medicaid coverage (odds ratio = 1.36, P < 0.001). DISCUSSION: Overall acromioplasty rates decreased modestly, but markedly, beginning in 2012. Despite this small decrease in acromioplasty rate, it remains a commonly performed procedure in conjunction with RCR. Both the academic status of the surgical facility and the payor status of the patient affect the acromioplasty rate.