Korean J Sports Med.  2025 Mar;43(1):30-36. 10.5763/kjsm.2025.43.1.30.

Subacromial Steroid Injection Is Safe and Effective in Patients with Persistent Painful Stiffness after Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: a Level III Retrospective Cohort Study in Korea

• Wankhade A
• Jeong HJ
• Min YK
• Yeo JH
• Kim JK
• Oh JH

• KMID: 2565713
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.5763/kjsm.2025.43.1.30

Abstract

Purpose
Persistent postoperative stiffness is a common complication after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR). We hypothesized that a subacromial steroid injection (SAI) may improve the early outcomes in patients with persistent stiffness without increasing steroid-associated complications. Therefore, we evaluated the effectiveness and safety of SAI in patients with persistent stiffness 3 months after ARCR.
Methods
We retrospectively analyzed 300 ARCR cases performed between January 2012 and May 2014, in which repair integrity was confirmed at postoperative 3 months. Patients were divided into SAI and control groups. The SAI group received a single SAI (triamcinolone 40 mg and ropivacaine 52.5 mg) to address postoperative stiffness, with no additional SAI thereafter. The control group did not receive any injections until the final follow-up. Functional and radiological outcomes were compared between the two groups.
Results
The mean follow-up period was 18.1±4.7 months (range, 12.1–37.2 months), with no difference between groups (p=0.731). At the time of injection, the range of motion was significantly lower in the SAI (all p＜0.001). However, functional outcomes were comparable between the two groups at 3 months after injection and the final follow-up (all p＞ 0.05). The healing failure rate at the final follow-up also did not differ between the SAI and control groups (14.9% vs. 13.2%, p=0.671).
Conclusion
This short-term follow-up study suggests that the administration of a single SAI to treat persistent stiffness at 3 months after ARCR may improve functional recovery without increasing the risk of healing failure.

Keyword

Subacromial steroid injection; Rotator cuff injuries; Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair