Comparative Clinical Evaluation of Two Techniques of Arthroscopic Treatment of Partial Articular Rotator Cuff Tears.

Objectives  To evaluate the clinical results of patients submitted to arthroscopic treatment of partial lesion of the articular part of the rotator cuff by transtendon suture techniques and after completing the lesion and to compare the postoperative recovery time of the two techniques. Method  Retrospective study based on the identification of all cases with partial lesion of the articular part of the rotator cuff submitted to arthroscopic treatment from October 1999 to December 2016 at the Shoulder and Elbow Group of our institution. Thirty-nine patients were included and divided into two groups: those who underwent the transtendon technique and those in whom the lesion was completed. The two groups were statistically similar. The respective medical records were analyzed as well as the identification of the applied technique, the postoperative results, and the related complications. The functional evaluation was performed using the score of the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Results  There was no statistically relevant difference between the groups, with a mean UCLA score of 32, and no difference in the time required for rehabilitation. Conclusion  There was no difference between the clinical outcome of the patients, regardless of the technique used to repair the partial lesions of the articular part of the rotator cuff, with satisfactory results in 93% of the cases.