Failed surgical management of partial thickness rotator cuff tears

Some authors have recommended that rotator cuff tears <50% of tendon thickness be debrided and those involving >50% of the tendon be treated with mini-open repair. We hypothesize that if indications for selecting between simple debridement and tendon repair were appropriate, then both groups should have comparable outcomes. Thirty-nine patients with partial rotator cuff tears met inclusion criteria and were available for retrospective analysis. Twenty-six percent of patients who underwent debridement and 12.5% of patients who had mini-open repair had unsatisfactory results according to Neer's criteria.