J Korean Shoulder Elbow Soc.  2009 Dec;12(2):109-114.

The Radiologic and Clinical Changes after Open Complete Repair of Massive Rotator Cuff Tears

• Moon ES
• Choi MS
• Kim MS
• Kong IK
• Kim BJ

Abstract

PURPOSE
This study evaluated the preoperative and postoperative radiologic findings of patients with complete repairs after massive rotator cuff tears along with the incidence of re-tear and the clinical outcomes.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
This study evaluated 33 cases who had open complete repairs for massive rotator cuff tears and these patients were followed up for more than 24 months. The clinical evaluation was performed according to the shoulder joint function test of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES), and the degree of arthritis related to the massive rotator cuff tears was evaluated using the Hamada classification.
RESULTS
The ASES scores improved from 37.6 preoperatively to 85.6 postoperatively. The mean preoperative acromio-humeral interval (AHI) score was 6.5 mm, which increased to 9.3 mm immediately after surgery, and there was a decreased to 6.5 mm noted at the last follow up. The lower radiology stages of arthritis according to the classification showed better preoperative and postoperative results.
CONCLUSION
An open complete repair as the surgical treatment for a massive rotator cuff tear showed satisfactory results for pain relief and an improvement in the shoulder joint function though re-tear after surgery.

Keyword

Radiologic change; Massive rotator cuff tear; Re-tear; Open repair

MeSH Terms

Arthritis
Elbow
Follow-Up Studies
Humans
Incidence
Rotator Cuff
Shoulder
Shoulder Joint