Arthroscopic versus mini-open repair of rotator cuff tears

Abstract

Background Rotator cuff tears are very common in the general population. Different modalities of repair are well established. We describe two surgical techniques for repair, arthroscopic versus mini-open techniques. Patients and methods This prospective study included 20 patients with complete rotator cuff tear (small to large size) with grade A or B retraction with no or little fatty infiltration of cuff muscles. Patients were divided into two groups, each group included 10 patients: one group was treated by arthroscopic repair by anchors and the other group was treated by mini-open repair by anchors. Results For group A treated by arthroscopic repair over the period of follow-up, the mean Constant and Murley score was 82.1 ± 4.8 (76–90), and all the patients were satisfied. For group B treated by mini-open repair over the period of follow-up, the mean Constant and Murley score was 79.8 ± 7.2 (66–90), and eight patients out of 10 were satisfied. There was no statistically significant difference between both groups (p value 0.4). MRI showed satisfactory tendon healing 6 months postoperatively. Postoperative stiffness occurred in one patient undergoing mini-open repair mainly owing to poor compliance with the rehabilitation program. Conclusion Arthroscopic technique and mini-open technique are viable options for repair of rotator cuff tears in our study, with no significant variations noticed between them, although better results in arthroscopic group.