Arthroscopic repair of partial-thickness tears of the rotator cuff.

This study prospectively evaluated the clinical outcome of 41 patients who underwent arthroscopic repair of a significant (>50% thickness) partial-thickness supraspinatus tear. Tears were converted to full-thickness lesions and repaired with suture anchors and simple sutures. Of the tears, 80% (33/41) involved the articular surface. The mean age of the patients was 49 years (range, 23-70 years), and the mean follow-up was 38 months (range, 24-50 months). All patients had improvements in range of motion and strength. Postoperative isometric strength measurements revealed no significant difference between the operative and asymptomatic shoulder. Significant improvements were demonstrated for American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores (from 42 to 93 points, P < .001), pain relief (from 6.5 to 0.8 points, P < .001), and satisfaction (from 3.0 to 9.2 points, P < .001). Of the 41 patients, 40 (98%) were satisfied with their outcome. This study documented the successful clinical outcome of arthroscopic repair of significant partial-thickness rotator cuff tears.