The Re-examination of the Form of a Rotator Cuff Tear

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to re-examine a widely used classification of the rotator cuff tear based on our data. Since 1970,1048 shoulders (1037 patients) with rotator cuff tears have been operated on at Nobuhara Hospital.
The subjects we re 625 males and 150 females, aged from 17 to 87 years (mean 56). Obtaining surgical findings such as the shapes and involved torn tendons, the materials were analyzed comprehensively. The forms of the rotartor cuff tear were classified into 9 types. A massive tear was the most prolific,206 cases (27%). The ratio of the torn tendon was as follows: the supraspinatus tendon (SSP) 97%, the infraspinatus tendon (ISP) 65%, the teres minor tendon 13%, and the subscapularis tendon 28%.8groups were set up by combining each tendon, the correlation of both was investigated. Except for ISP tears and anterior tears, the SSP was in all rotator cuff tears. The extent of the retraction of a tendon end tended to be over estimated even in cases of one or two tendons. A subsidence with a degeneration in a concealed tear seemed to result from the retraction of the torn deep layer of an SSP and ISP. Our results revealed a 7.5% misjudgement on deciding which form of rotator cuff tear. Our findings on rotator cuff tears were diagnosed and judged subjectively by the surgenos. The pathologic states of the rotator cuff should be expressed more accurately, augmenting our findings on the form and shape of the involved tendons.