A Systematic Summary of Systematic Reviews on the Topic of the Rotator Cuff

BACKGROUND: The number of systematic reviews and meta-analyses published on the rotator cuff (RC) has increased markedly. PURPOSE: To quantify the number of systematic reviews and meta-analyses published on the RC and to provide a qualitative summary of the literature. STUDY DESIGN: Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4. METHODS: A systematic search for all systematic reviews and meta-analyses pertaining to the RC published between January 2007 and September 2017 was performed with PubMed, MEDLINE, and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. Narrative reviews and non–English language articles were excluded. RESULTS: A total of 1078 articles were found, of which 196 met the inclusion criteria. Included articles were summarized and divided into 15 topics: anatomy and function, histology and genetics, diagnosis, epidemiology, athletes, nonoperative versus operative treatment, surgical repair methods, concomitant conditions and surgical procedures, RC tears after total shoulder arthroplasty, biological augmentation, postoperative rehabilitation, outcomes and complications, patient-reported outcome measures, cost-effectiveness of RC repair, and quality of randomized controlled trials. CONCLUSION: A qualitative summary of the systematic reviews and meta-analyses published on the RC can provide surgeons with a single source of the most current literature.