Family Predisposition for Rotator Cuff Tear and Other Tendinopathies – A Case-Control Study

Objective To evaluate the prevalence of family history of rotator cuff tear and the presence of tendinopathy in other joints in patients with rotator cuff tears and to compare them with paired controls. To estimate the odds ratio for rotator cuff tear for these two risk factors. Methods We performed a case-control study comparing patients submitted to treatment for rotator cuff tear with asymptomatic controls. All cases and controls were evaluated by imaging exams and matched by age (±2 years) and gender. We conducted an interview using a standardized questionnaire, and collected data on various risk factors. Results We evaluated 144 patients, 72 per group. Patients with rotator cuff tears reported a higher number of consanguineous relatives who underwent treatment for the same disease and tendon injuries in other joints compared to the controls ( p = 0.005 and p = 0.045 respectively). Individuals with a family history of treatment for rotator cuff tear or with tendinopathies in other joints were more likely to present a rotator cuff tear, with odds ratios of 3.3 (95% confidence interval [95%CI] = 1.4–7.7) and 2.7 (95%CI = 1.1–6.9) respectively. Conclusions Patients with rotator cuff tear have a higher prevalence of family members with the same disease and tendinopathies or tendon injuries in other joints. The presence of consanguineous relatives with treatment for rotator cuff and tendinopathies in other joints are risk factors for the presence of rotator cuff tears.