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Articular-sided rotator cuff tears: which is the best repair? A three-year prospective randomised controlled trial

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Abstract

Purpose

To compare two groups of patients who underwent two different arthroscopic procedures for repair of articular-sided partial-thickness rotator cuff tears (PTRCTs).

Materials this is a comparative prospective study of two methods for repair of partial cuff tears

Thirty-two patients underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with a transtendon technique (group 1); 28 underwent arthroscopic full-thickness conversion and repair of the lesion (group 2). ROM measures, clinical findings, MRI features (tendon healing and re-tear), Constant–Murley and ASES scores were assessed pre- and postoperatively and compared. Patients were also asked about return to sport and level of activity.

Results

At the last appointment, patients of both the groups were significantly improved for clinical findings, ROM measures, imaging features, Constant–Murley and ASES scores than at baseline, without any significant inter-group difference. In group 1, 15 of 20 patients (75 %) who practiced recreational sport activities had returned to sport at the same level as before the onset of symptoms, without any discomfort. In group 2, 12 of 18 patients (67 %) had returned to the same level of sport activity they practiced before symptoms. At the last follow up, MRI showed rotator cuff healing in 31 patients of Group 1 and 27 patients of Group 2 (p = 0.83).

Conclusions

The two procedures are safe, effective, and comparable.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Campus Biomedico University of Rome, Via Alvaro del Portillo, Rome, Italy

    Francesco Franceschi, Rocco Papalia, Angelo Del Buono, Sebastiano Vasta, Vincenzo Costa & Vincenzo Denaro

  2. Centre for Sports and Exercise Medicine, Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Mile End Hospital, 275 Bancroft Road, London, E1 4DG, England

    Nicola Maffulli

  3. Department of Musculoskeletal Disorders, University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy

    Nicola Maffulli

Authors
  1. Francesco Franceschi
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  2. Rocco Papalia
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  3. Angelo Del Buono
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  4. Sebastiano Vasta
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  5. Vincenzo Costa
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  6. Nicola Maffulli
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  7. Vincenzo Denaro
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nicola Maffulli.

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Franceschi, F., Papalia, R., Del Buono, A. et al. Articular-sided rotator cuff tears: which is the best repair? A three-year prospective randomised controlled trial. International Orthopaedics (SICOT) 37, 1487–1493 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-013-1882-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-013-1882-9

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