Arthroscopic repair of large to massive rotator cuff tears

Abstract

Objective To evaluate arthroscopic repair of large to massive rotator cuff tears (LMRCT) . Methods From March 2004 to September 2008, 13 LMRCT patients, 3 nales and 10 females, were treated under arthroscopy. Their mean age was 58.3 years old, with a range of 45 to 72 years.Arthroscopic operations included 11 cases of acromioplasty, 8 cases of rotator cuff repair with metal suture anchor and 5 cases of simple debridement. The clinical outcome was assessed by the visual analog scale (VAS) and University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) scoring system. Results The follow-up periods averaged 18.2 months, with a range of 16 to 32 months. The mean preoperative and end follow-up VAS scores were 6. 6 ± 1.3 vs. 1.5 ± 1.1. The mean preoperative and end follow-up UCLA scores were 11.2 ± 2. 2 vs.29. 5 ± 2.2. There were significant differences between preoperative and postoperative scores ( P ＜ 0.05 ).Conclusion Arthroscopy may be the least invasive, most effective and safest treatment for LMRCT. Key words: Shoulder joint; Arthroscopy; Treatment outcome