Arthroscopic repair of complete tear of rotator cuff

Background: Rotator cuff tear is one of the most common causes of shoulder complaints in the elderly. Based on the severity and patient's condition, a variety of methods applies to manage the tear and surgery is an important method, which could be done by open or arthroscopic technique. The current study aimed to investigate and report short-term results of arthroscopic repair of complete rotator cuff tears. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study on 183 patients who underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair rotator cuff tear in three different hospitals of Tehran between January 2003 and August 2006. Of all patients, 107 cases included in our study, which had a complete rotator cuff tear, and at least one-year follow up record. 89 patients (56 male and 33 female) attended assessment sessions and were evaluated by UCLA (University of California, Los Angeles) Shoulder and Elbow Scoring System, pre- and post-operatively, and acromioplasty was performed in 83 patients. Results: With a mean age of 53.2 ± 15.8 (32-71) years, the average UCLA score was 11.3 before the surgery and 31.4 post-operatively. There were 11 patients with excellent scores, 62 good, 11 fair, and 5 poor scores. 9 out of 11 cases with excellent score and 34 out of 62 with good score were younger than 55 years; however, 13 cases were older than 60 years amongst 16 fair or poor scores. Conclusions: Arthroscopic repair of complete rotator cuff tear would cause a significant improvement in a short-term period and results are better in younger patients, through the UCLA scoring system.