• PURPOSE
    • The purpose of this systematic review is to evaluate the current literature in an effort to investigate sleep quality and disturbances and the association with clinical outcomes of patients undergoing shoulder surgery.
  • METHODS
    • A systematic review of the PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases was performed according to PRISMA guidelines. All English-language literature reporting clinical outcomes and sleep quality and disturbance after shoulder surgery was reviewed by 2 independent reviewers. Outcomes assessed included patient-reported outcomes (PROs) and sleep quality. Specific PROs included the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain, Simple Shoulder Test (SST), University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Shoulder Rating Scale, and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Score (ASES). Study methodology was assessed using the Modified Coleman Methodology Score. Descriptive statistics are presented.
  • RESULTS
    • Sixteen studies (11 level IV, 2 level III, 3 level II) with a total of 2748 shoulders were included (age, 12-91 years; follow-up, 0.25-132 months). In total, 2198 shoulders underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (RCR), 131 shoulders underwent arthroscopic capsular release, 372 shoulders underwent total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA), 18 shoulders underwent comprehensive arthroscopic management, and 29 shoulders underwent sternoclavicular joint procedures. All shoulder surgeries improved self-reported sleep and PROs from before to after surgery. In RCR patients, PSQI scores were significantly associated with VAS scores, SST scores (r = 0.453, r = -0.490, P < .05, respectively), but not significantly associated with UCLA Shoulder rating scale or the ASES scores (r = 0.04, r = 0.001, P > .05, respectively). In TSA patients, PSQI scores were significantly associated with ASES scores (r = -0.08, P < .05). All 4 RCR studies and 1 TSA study using PSQI found significant improvements in mean PSQI scores within 6 to 24 months (P < .05).
  • CONCLUSIONS
    • Surgical intervention for rotator cuff tear and glenohumeral osteoarthritis significantly improves self-reported sleep in patients with shoulder pain. However, there remains a dearth of available studies assessing the effects of surgical intervention for adhesive capsulitis, sternoclavicular joint instability, and sternoclavicular osteoarthritis on sleep. Future studies should use sleep-specific PROs and quantitative measures of sleep to further elucidate the relationship between sleep and the effect of shoulder surgery.
  • LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
    • Level IV, systematic review of Level II-IV studies.