Arthroscopic repair of partial articular supraspinatus tendon avulsion lesions by conversion to full-thickness tears through a small incision

Abstract Purpose To assess the clinical efficacy of converting partial articular supraspinatus tendon avulsion (PASTA) lesions to full-thickness tears through a small local incision of the bursal-side supraspinatus tendon followed by repair. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 41 patients with Ellman grade 3 PASTA lesions and an average age of (54.7±11.4) years from March 2013 to July 2017. The tears were confirmed via arthroscopy, and a polydioxanone suture was placed to indicate the position of each tear. A small incision of approximately 6 mm was made using a plasma scalpel on the bursal-side supraspinatus tendon around the positioned suture to convert the partial tear into a full-thickness tear. The torn rotator cuff was sutured through the full thickness using a suture passer after inserting a 4.5-mm double-loaded suture anchor. Results At the 2-year final follow-up, the pain-free shoulder joint range of motion and visual analog scale score were significantly improved compared to those before surgery (p Conclusion This modified tear completion repair, by conversion to full-thickness tears through a small incision, has less damage to the supraspinatus tendon on the side of the bursa compared to traditional tear completion repair in the treatment of PASTA lesions. This surgical method is a simple and effective treatment that can effectively alleviate pain and improve shoulder joint function.