抄録
Background: Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) has an established place in the treatment of rotator cuff tear. However, little information is available on fixation method after ARCR and postoperative therapy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the clinical outcome of ARCR for patients who had medium and small rotator cuff tear without using abduction brace.
Methods: From 2004 to 2011, there were 32 shoulders in 32 patients who had middle and small rotator cuff tear without using abduction brace after ARCR. The patient's arm was kept in a sling after ARCR. Mean age at surgery was 58.2 years (range, 34-73 years). All patients were evaluated with use of the JOA scores. MRI were evaluated with use of the Sugaya's classification six months after the operation. The Sugaya's classification TypeⅣ and Ⅴ were defined as the re-tear.
Results: The JOA scores improved from an average of 61.4 points preoperatively to an average of 94.8 points postoperatively at the time of the last follow-up. The re-tear rate was 0% by the Sugaya's classification.
Conclusion: The clinical outcome of ARCR for patients with cuff tear without using abduction brace has been excellent. Therefore, it is suggested that the Abduction brace is not necessarily required for the patients with small and medium rotator cuff tear after ARCR.
