An unusual study linking failure rates of arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery with elevated cholesterol levels was presented at the March 2017 annual Meeting of the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS). They concluded that patients with higher cholesterol levels face a significantly greater risk for failure of minimally invasive (arthroscopic) rotator cuff surgery. According to the study, statins diminish this risk.

“The study found an association between the use of statins and mitigation of the risk for revision surgery, even in patients with elevated cholesterol levels,” said Brian C. Werner, MD, an orthopaedic surgeon at the University of Virginia School of Medicine and lead author of the study.

Approximately 200,000 Americans undergo rotator cuff surgery each year.

In the study, researchers reviewed a private insurer patient database of nearly 31,000 patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair from 2007 to 2014. Patients were divided into normal, moderate and high cholesterol groups, based on their total cholesterol levels (LDL, HDL, and triglycerides). The patient groups were further analyzed based on whether or not they took statins before and after surgery.

Findings of the study:

[*]The rate of revision rotator cuff surgery was significantly increased in patients with moderate or high total cholesterol and LDL levels compared to patients with normal levels.

Among the patients with moderate or high cholesterol, those who were not taking statins before or after surgery had significantly higher rates of revision surgery.

Patients taking statins prior to or after surgery did not have higher rates of revision surgery, even if their cholesterol levels were high.

The reason for failure was not given

Dr. Werner said “Additional study of the association between statins and rotator cuff surgical outcomes is encouraged to determine if improved cholesterol control can improve clinical outcomes following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair” .