Comparison of surgical outcome between bursal and articular partial thickness rotator cuff tears.

Surgical outcomes after arthroscopic subacromial decompression and debridement in bursal and articular partial thickness rotator cuff tears with a tear depth of < 50% were compared. Twenty-four articular and 13 bursal partial thickness rotator cuff tears were evaluated for pain relief and functional recovery. At 6 months postoperatively, the average pain score decreased from 6.2 to 1.7 in patients with articular tears and from 7.1 to 0.9 in patients with bursal tears. Although pain relief and functional recovery were excellent in both groups, the results were better in patients with bursal partial thickness rotator cuff tears at 6 months postoperatively.