Functional repair in massive immobile rotator cuff tears leads to satisfactory quality of living: results at 3-year follow-up

Purpose The aim of this retrospective study was to report clinical results of a selective population undergone to arthroscopic functional repair of massive, contracted, immobile rotator cuff tears. Methods From 2005 to 2009, 311 patients with rotator cuff tears were treated at our institution. Of them, 26 shoulders in 25 patients with a mean age of 64 years that presented a massive, contracted immobile tear repaired using an interval slide technique, were included in this study. Results The mean postoperative follow-up period was 39 months (range 19–70 months). The mean postoperative disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand (DASH) score and simple shoulder test (SST) score were, respectively, 20.91 and 8.8 (range DASH: 0.83–59.1; range SST: 2–12). Based on single assessment numeric evaluation score, the outcome of surgery was satisfactory with a mean of 76 % (range 0–100 %). The residual level of pain was low, as reported by a final mean visual analog scale score of 1.8 (range 0–8). The mean postoperative range of motion was 157.5° in forward elevation (range 90°–180°) and 55.3° in extra rotation (range 0°–90°). Eleven patients reached mid-back, in 7, the lower back and in 8 cases, upper back. Conclusion Arthroscopic functional repair could be considered an appropriate treatment option in case of massive, contracted and immobile cuff tears. This treatment can provide improvement in pain and function that positively affects patients’ quality of life without precluding other, more invasive, eventually consequent solutions.