Background It is unclear whether repaired rotator cuffs
heal in older patients and whether the function in those
shoulders compares with those of similarly aged patients
with untreated tears.
Questions/Purpose We questioned whether, in patients
65 years of age and older, shoulders with rotator cuff
repairs that remained intact would have Simple Shoulder
Test (SST) scores and Constant scores similar to those of
untreated individuals with intact rotator cuffs.
Methods We retrospectively reviewed 39 patients (42
shoulders) 65 years of age and older in whom 42 fullthickness
rotator cuff tears were repaired with a mini open
technique. All patients completed SST and Constant scores
12 to 60 months postoperatively; all patients also had
ultrasound at those times to assess the status of the repair.