Abstract
The purpose of this study was to examine the clinical effects of surgical repair of massive rotator cuff tears. We examined 70 shoulders of 69 patients who underwent surgery for massive rotator cuff tears. Evaluations using the UCLA score were performed preoperatively, and at six months and 2 years postoperatively. Evaluations using MR imaging were performed at 6 months and 2 years postoperatively. For all patients, there was significant improvement for all items of the UCLA score between the preoperative evaluationand the 6-month postoperative evaluation. There was also a significant improvement in the UCLA score, with the exception of active forward flexion, between 6 months and 2 years postoperatively. For MR imaging, there was a significant improvement in the thickness of the anterior deltoid muscle between 6 months and 2 years postoperatively, on the other hand, there was no significant improvement in thickness or fatty degeneration of the supraspinatus muscle between 6 months and 2 years postoperatively. These results suggested that surgical repair of massive rotator cuff tears could not improve the thickness and fatty degeneration of repaired cuff muscles. However, it could improve shoulder function and the thickness of the anterior deltoid muscle. Consequently, surgical repair of massive rotator cuff tears has definite clinical effects.
