Comparative Clinical Evaluation of Two Techniques in the Arthroscopic Treatment of Partial Articular Rotator Cuff Tears after Six Years of Follow-up.

Objective  To clinically evaluate the medium-term results of the arthroscopic treatment of partial-thickness rotator cuff tears (PTRCT) using the transtendon repair (TTR) technique and the tear completion repair (TCR) technique through the modified University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Shoulder Rating Scale, the Constant-Murley score, and force analysis. Methods  The present was a retrospective reevaluation study of cases operated on arthroscopically for PTRCT after a minimum follow-up of 6 years. There were 34 patients, 18 of whom underwent TTR and 16, TCR. We compared the current UCLA and Constant-Murley scores, the mean strength between the techniques, and the UCLA score currently and 2 years after surgery for the same group, as published in a previous study, to assess whether or not the results changed throughout time. Results  There was no statistical difference regarding the scores. The current UCLA scores were of 33.8 for the TTR and of 32.9 for the TCR ( p  = 0.113), and the current Constant-Murley scores were of 91.9 and 86.8 respectively ( p  = 0.075). For the TTR, the previous UCLA score was (2 years postoperatively) of 32.4 and the current score was of 33.8 ( p  = 0.374); for the TCR, the score after 2 years was of 32.4, and the current score was of 32.9 ( p  = 0.859). In the TTR, the mean strength was statistically higher on the dominant side (11 kg) than on the non-dominant side (7.80 kg) ( p  = 0.023) and those of the TCR (8.25 kg) ( p  = 0.042). Conclusion  There was no statistical difference in the medium term when comparing the UCLA and Constant-Murley scores concerning the technique used (TTR or TCR), nor was there any change in UCLA scores between 2 and 6 years postoperatively. Among the patients submitted to TTR, the mean strength was statistically higher on the dominant side than on the non-dominant side, and higher than that of the patients submitted to TCR.