Background: The purposes of this study were to investigate the healing condition of rotator cuff after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair of partial rotator cuff tears by second-look arthroscopy, and to compare two repair techniques.
Methods: Among 32 shoulders with partial rotator cuff tear repaired arthroscopically, 18 shoulders underwent second-look arthroscopy. According to their repair techniques, they were divided into 2 groups; 7 shoulders repaired by trans-tendon repair as P group, and 11 shoulders repaired after the formation of complete tear as C group. While in P group the average age was 20 years old, all of them were athletes, and there were 3 with throwing injury, and 4 with anterior instability, in C group the average age was 51 years old, and there were 3 with throwing injury, 4 with traumatic tear, and 4 with non-traumatic tear. Second-look arthroscopy was done at a minimum of 3 months after initial surgery.
Results: While there was complete healing in 3, incomplete healing in 3 and insufficient healing in 1 in P group, there was complete healing in 10 and incomplete healing in 1 in C group. Incomplete healing in P group was seen in 2 throwing shoulders and one dislocated shoulder of throwing shoulder, and insufficient healing was seen in throwing shoulder. Incomplete healing in C group was seen in a shoulder with non-traumatic tear. Almost all of them showed remarkable adhesion at the subacromial bursa and rotator interval.
Conclusion: In conclusion, by second-look arthroscopy, the healing condition of rotator cuff after trans-tendon repair was not so good, especially in throwing shoulders. As postoperative contracture was often seen, postoperative rehabilitation should be reconsidered.
