Rotator cuff tears in patients younger than 50 years of age.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the characteristics of rotator cuff tears and the clinical outcome of rotator cuff repair in patients under 50 years of age. Sixty-eight patients (72 shoulders) aged < 50 years, who underwent repair of rotator cuff tears were evaluated. We analyzed the cause of injury, tear size, time from symptom onset to surgery, and rate that patients returned to previous jobs and sports. Postoperative results were assessed by pain, strength, range of motion, and UCLA scoring system. Most of the injuries were caused by an unambiguous traumatic event. The tear size generally was medium or large, while the time from symptom onset to surgery was shorter than that seen in a mixed population. The postoperative outcomes generally were good to excellent, and the rate that patients returned to previous jobs and sports was high. The findings suggest that a good outcome after early repair in younger patients with traumatic rotator cuff tears can be expected.