Abstract
We used posterior displacement acromioplasty for surgical repair in 19 patients who had complete or incomplete rotator cuff tears. Seventeen cases with follow-up periods of greater than 6 months were evaluated using the (JOA) scoring system. The patients consisted of 12 men and 5 women. None of these patients had a bilateral repair performed. The average age at the time of surgery was 54 years (range 40 to 70 years). There were complete tears in 13 cases and incomplete tears in 4 cases. The mean duration of follow-up was 29 months (range 6 to 57 months). The McLaughlin procedure and acromioplasty were performed in all patients. The total score improved from an average of 65.2 points preoperatively to 88.5 poists postoperatively. The average pain score improved from 5.3 to 27.8 points. In 16 cases, the strength of the abductor muscle of the shoulder reached above level 4 with manual muscle testing at 6 months postoperatively. Posterior displacement acromioplasty provides better exposure and facilitates appropriate surgical repair without weakening the lever arm of the deltoid muscle.
