Comparison of Clinical and Radiological Results in the Arthroscopic Repair of Full-Thickness Rotator Cuff Tears With and Without the Anterior Attachment of the Rotator Cable:

Background:The anterior rotator cable is critical in force transmission of the rotator cuff. However, few clinical studies have examined the correlation between the integrity of the anterior supraspinatus tendon and surgical outcomes in patients with rotator cuff tears.Purpose:To compare the clinical and structural outcomes of the arthroscopic repair of full-thickness rotator cuff tears with and without anterior disruption of the supraspinatus tendon.Study Design:Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:One hundred eighty-one shoulders available for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at least 6 months after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, with a minimum 1-year follow-up, were enrolled. The anterior attachment of the rotator cable was disrupted in 113 shoulders (group A) and intact in 68 shoulders (group B). The mean age at the time of surgery in groups A and B was 59.6 and 59.2 years, respectively, and the mean follow-up period was 24.2 and 25.1 months, respectively.Results:There were statistically sign...