Arthroscopic transtendon repair of partial articular-sided supraspinatus tendon avulsion.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the outcomes of arthroscopic transtendon repair of partial articular-sided supraspinatus tendon avulsion (PASTA) in a large study group.


METHODS
A retrospective review of prospectively collected data was conducted. One hundred and eighteen patients with PASTA lesion (grade A2-A3) who underwent arthroscopic transtendon repair were identified, of which 110 were eligible for the study. Ten patients were lost at final follow-up leaving a study group of 100 patients (52 male, 48 female). The average follow-up was 37 months (minimum 24 months, range 24-50, median 40). Mean age at the time of surgery was 50.4 (range 17-71, median 45). Patients were assessed before surgery and at 24-month follow-up, using the Simple Shoulder Test (SST), UCLA shoulder rating scale and the visual analogue scale (VAS). ROM was measured bilaterally and was evaluated before surgery, at 3-, 6- and 24-month follow-up. The satisfaction rate was calculated. Data were analysed using a paired Student's t test with 95 % confidence interval (significance p < 0.05).


RESULTS
Significant improvement in UCLA, SST and VAS score was observed. Fifty-four cases were rated excellent, 42 good, 2 fair, 2 poor according to the UCLA score. No significant differences in ROM were noted compared to the contra-lateral side (p < 0.001) at the 24-month follow-up. Eighteen patients presented with a stiff shoulder at the 3-month follow-up, but they recovered full ROM by the 6-month follow-up evaluation.


CONCLUSIONS
The arthroscopic transtendon repair of partial articular-sided rotator cuff tears is an effective procedure that leads to significant improvement in pain and shoulder function, with high patients' satisfaction rate, while the complication rate is low. This study demonstrated the effectiveness and safety of this technique in a large homogeneous study group.


METHODS
IV.
Gruppo Ospedaliero San Donato Foundation, Istituto Clinico San Rocco di Franciacorta, Via dei Sabbioni 24, 25050, Ome, Brescia, Italy. gbvinanti@tin.it.
Giovanni Battista
GB
Vinanti
Gruppo Ospedaliero San Donato Foundation, Istituto Clinico San Rocco di Franciacorta, Via dei Sabbioni 24, 25050, Ome, Brescia, Italy.
Alberto
A
Rossato
Residency Program in Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
Daniele
D
Scrimieri
Department of Surgery, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Massimo
M
Petrera
D006801:Humans; D017746:Joint Capsule; D010147:Pain Measurement; D017060:Patient Satisfaction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D017006:Rotator Cuff / Q000601:surgery*; D012782:Shoulder / Q000601:surgery*; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000601:surgery*
Articular side rotator cuff tear; PASTA lesion; Rotator cuff; Supraspinatus tendon avulsion; Transtendon repair