Repair integrity and functional outcomes of arthroscopic repair for intratendinous partial-thickness rotator cuff tears

Purpose:We evaluated the clinical and radiological outcomes of arthroscopic repair of intratendinous partial-thickness rotator cuff tears.Methods:We retrospectively reviewed 30 patients who underwent arthroscopic repair of intratendinous partial-thickness rotator cuff tears from January 2010 to January 2015 in a single institute. Five outcome measures were used: a visual analog scale (VAS) pain score, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, the shoulder rating scale of the University of California at Los Angeles, the Constant–Murley score, and range of motion (ROM). Pain was recorded using the VAS. Active ROM was measured goniometrically. Rotator cuff repair integrity was determined via magnetic resonance imaging or ultrasonography at least 6 months after arthroscopic repair.Results:Of the 30 patients, 29 (96.6%) returned for functional follow-up evaluation no earlier than 2 years after the operation. All functional scores exhibited significant improvements (all p = 0.000). The VAS improved from a...