Abstract
The goal of this study is to evaluate the over 10 years of long term clinical results of mini-open rotator cuff repair. We retrospectively evaluated 30 shoulders in 29 consecutive patients who had mini-open rotator cuff repair surgeries and at least 10 years clinical follow up. Average age at the time of surgery was 61.6 years. Clinical results were assessed with active ROM of flexion and abduction; were evaluated with the JOA score at 6 months, 1 year, 5 years and 10 years of follow up and compared to the preoperative evaluations. 30 shoulders were divided into 3 groups: 6 small, 18 middle and 6 large or massive size tears. All the cases were evaluated with necessities of additional surgical interventions during over 10 years of follow up. Additional arthroscopic rotator cuff repair surgeries were necessary in two medium size tear shoulders (6.7%) because of rotator cuff re-tears. Additional surgical treatments were not necessary in the other 28 shoulders (93.3%). The average pre-surgical JOA score of 57.1 points was significantly increased at 6 months and 1 year of follow up (93.4 and 93.9 points respectively); gradually decreased to 92.1 points at 5 years of follow up and maintained significantly good scores: 90.1 points at 10 years of follow up. Mini-open rotator cuff repair is an effective, minimally invasive surgical treatment for rotator cuff tears at a minimum of 10 years of follow up.
