Treatment of race and ethnicity in shoulder and elbow research: An analysis of the most cited papers on rotator cuff repair

Abstract

Background: This study examined the current approach to the inclusion of race and ethnicity among frequently referenced shoulder surgery literature and discussed guidance for best practices for the inclusion of race and ethnicity in shoulder research.

Methods: The shoulder literature were systematically reviewed for the most frequently cited studies discussing rotator cuff repair, total shoulder arthroplasty, and Bankart repair. All reviewed studies met the timeline criteria (2013-2022). Only studies with clinical outcomes were included. Review articles, meta-analyses, systematic reviews, basic science studies, or any manuscript that did not represent clinical outcomes research were excluded. Author, year issued, the journal in which the paper was published, study design, the number of subjects, duration of follow-up, independent variables, dependent variables, results, and conclusions were extracted from the articles that met the inclusion criteria. Whether race and/or ethnicity were included in the study design in any way was also recorded. For those studies in which race and ethnicity were included, a detailed analysis of the paper's treatment of race using the JAMA Updated Guidance on Reporting of Race and Ethnicity in Medical and Science Journals was performed and recorded.

Results: In the "rotator cuff repair" cohort of papers, there were 2 articles that mention race. Out of the 2 articles that mentioned race, neither included race appropriately using the JAMA Updated Guidance on Reporting of Race and Ethnicity in Medical and Science Journals. In the "Bankart repair" cohort of papers, each article lacked the mention of race among their patient population. The "total shoulder arthroplasty" manuscripts also did not include treatment of race and ethnicity in any way.

Discussion: Race and ethnicity and other social determinants of health can be used to understand the source of healthcare disparities. Unless a thoughtful and deliberate consideration of race and ethnicity is undertaken, their inclusion in clinical research can be a double-edged sword due to the potential race and ethnicity-centered treatment involvement can be rooted in fallacies. In shoulder surgery clinical research, race and ethnicity should be considered in concert with social factors that could exacerbate poor patient outcomes in our patient population.

Level of evidence: Level V.

Keywords: Ethnicity; Race; Race and ethnicity in shoulder surgery; Shoulder surgery.