Is a New Era in Rotator Cuff Repairs Has Arisen?

Emmanouil Brilakis

Department of Orthopaedic, Hygeia General Hospital, Athens, Greece

Emmanouil Brilakis, Department of Trauma & Orthopaedic Surgeon, Hygeia General Hospital, Athens, Greece.

Keywords: Rotator Cuff; Arthropathy; Autograft

Abstract

Irreparable rotator cuff tears have been defined as the tears that cannot be repaired primarily, because of their size and/or retraction. Patients suffering by this entity present with a variety of symptoms and physical findings. The treatment goals of the management of such tears are: pain reduction, shoulder motion and function restoration and deceleration of cuff tear arthropathy developement. Current non-prosthetic treatment options include biceps tenotomy and debridement, partial rotator cuff repair, use of grafts and biodegradable subacromial spacers as well as latissimus dorsi transfer. Although they provide satisfactory results, each one has different factors which limit their clinical application.

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