Clinical and Radiographic Outcomes of Failed Repairs of Large or Massive Rotator Cuff Tears

Abstract

Clinical improvements and pain relief after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair of large and massive tears are durable at the time of long-term (ten-year) follow-up, despite early structural failure of repair. Shoulders had a high rate of progression of radiographic signs associated with large rotator cuff tears. These results demonstrate that healing of large rotator cuff tears is not critical for long-term satisfactory clinical results in older patients.