After rotator cuff repair (RCR), return to work and return to sports is affected by various psychosocial factors. The role of one of these factors – mood and anxiety disorders (MAD) – is still not clear. The primary objective of this study was to determine the influence of prior MAD on the return to work and return to sports after RCR. Our hypothesis was that patients with a history of MAD would take longer to return to work and to sports after RCR, and the rate of return would be lower, than for patients without MAD.

This was a retrospective single-center study of patients who underwent arthroscopic RCR (distal supraspinatus tear). Patients who were employed and those who participated in sports before the surgery were included in the “working” and “sports” groups, respectively. The primary outcomes were the time to return to work and return to sports after surgery. The secondary outcomes were the ratio of patients returning to work and to sports at 3, 6 and 12 months; rate of return to same level of sports; need to change or stop working or sports. The effects of prior MAD on these various outcomes were determined using Bayesian multivariate analysis.

The “working” group consisted of 158 patients (of which 16.5% had MAD) and the “sports” group consisted of 118 patients (of which 17.8% had MAD). In those with a history of MAD, return to work was 21±11 weeks later and the return to sports was 17±8 weeks later than in those without MAD. There was a 98% probability that return to work or return to sports was delayed by at least 4 weeks in patients with history of MAD. The likelihood that patients with prior MAD who undergo RCR will completely abandon their sport was 2.8 times higher (OR=2.8 [1; 7.8]).

We found a negative influence of prior MAD on the return to work and return to sports after RCR.

III; retrospective case-control study.