Surgical procedure and results of repair of massive tears of the rotator cuff.

One hundred eighty-seven patients (189 shoulders) were treated surgically between 1970 and 1992 for massive rotator cuff tears using either a tendon-to-tendon repair or the McLaughlin procedure. The age of the patients ranged from 20 to 86 years; 95% of them were 45 years or older. The average followup was 6 years 9 months. Excellent or good functional results were attained in 93% of patients. Thirty-three percent of those who underwent tendon to tendon repair complained of pain after overuse compared with only 18% who had the McLaughlin Procedure.