Factors contributing to persistent shoulder pain after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: Protocol for a scoping review.

Introduction: Rotator cuff (RC) tears are the most common and disabling musculoskeletal ailments among patients with shoulder pain. Although most individuals show improvement in function and pain following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR), a subgroup of patients continue to suffer from persistent shoulder pain following the surgical procedure. Identifying these factors is important in planning preoperative management to improve patient outcomes.

Objective: This scoping review aims to identify biological factors, psychological factors, and social determinants of health contributing to the development of persistent pain in individuals after the ARCR procedure.

Inclusion criteria: All prospective and retrospective longitudinal studies reporting the risk factors contributing to persistent pain three months or longer after the ARCR surgery will be considered for this scoping review.

Methods: Our review will adhere to the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) scoping review methodology. Four electronic databases PubMed, CINAHL, Embase, and Scopus will be searched for studies in the English language. Additional studies can be found by conducting a citation analysis of the included studies. Title and abstract screening will be performed by two independent reviewers following the inclusion criteria, a third reviewer will be consulted about any differences. Next, full-text screening will be conducted, and the remaining search results will be reviewed to extract data, as well as to synthesize findings from all research. An overview of findings will be depicted in tabular format accompanied by a narrative summary of various factors contributing to persistent pain.