Factors Influencing the Reparability and Healing Rates of Rotator Cuff Tears

Factors affecting rotator cuff healing.

Several studies have noted that increasing age is a significant factor for diminished rotator cuff healing, while biomechanical studies have suggested the reason for this may be an inferior healing environment in older patients. Larger tears and fatty infiltration or atrophy negatively affect rotator cuff healing. Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, double-row repairs, performing a concomitant ac...

Risk Factors, Pathobiomechanics and Physical Examination of Rotator Cuff Tears

BACKGROUND It is important to appreciate the risk factors for the development of rotator cuff tears and specific physical examination maneuvers. METHODS A selective literature search was performed. RESULTS Numerous well-designed studies have demonstrated that common risk factors include age, occupation, and anatomic considerations such as the critical shoulder angle. Recently, research has ...

Sonography of Rotator Cuff Tears

OBJECTIVE. The management of patients with signs and symptoms referable to the rotator cuff depends on the presence of cuff injury and the size of the tear. Treatment options include conservative nonsurgical management for patients with an intact or partially tom cuff, arthroscopic decompression of the coracoacromlal space for those not responding to nonsurgical management, and a range of surgi...

Tears of the Humeral Rotator Cuff

Massive tears of the rotator cuff.

Repair of massive rotator cuff tears is technically difficult but often feasible. Technical and biological challenges to a successful repair include inelastic poor-quality tendon tissue, scarring, muscle atrophy, and fatty infiltration. Fatty infiltration of the involved rotator cuff muscles has been identified as an important negative prognostic factor for the outcome after repair of massive r...