title: Partial-thickness tears of the rotator cuff. A clinicopathological review based on 66 surgically verified cases.
abstract: This review is based on 66 patients with partial-thickness tears of the rotator cuff, verified at operation. Their average age was 54 years, and all had symptoms of subacromial impingement. The duration of shoulder pain was for between 2 and 108 months (mean 11.4 months). Ultrasonography, arthrography and bursography were helpful in establishing the diagnosis. On exploration, tears were found in the supraspinatus tendon, with 9 extending into the infraspinatus. After anterior acromioplasty, excision of the diseased portion and tenorrhaphy were undertaken. Satisfactory results were obtained in 62 patients (94%) with an average follow-up of 32 months. Spontaneous repair at the torn site was never seen. In addition to Neer's staging of impingement, we propose a new classification based on the integrity of the cuff tendon. We conclude that a partial-thickness cuff tear is an important cause of shoulder disability, which deserves much more clinical attention; misdiagnosis is common and leads to mismanagement. When conservative treatment fails, accurate diagnosis and proper surgical repair are essential.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Tokai University School of Medicine, Isehara, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hamada
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakajima
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yamada
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tomonaga
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Goto
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001175:Arthrography; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017006:Rotator Cuff / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D000070636:Rotator Cuff Injuries; D012421:Rupture; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000175:diagnosis