Arthroscopic transtendon repair of partial articular-sided supraspinatus tendon avulsion

To evaluate the outcomes of arthroscopic transtendon repair of partial articular-sided supraspinatus tendon avulsion (PASTA) in a large study group.

A retrospective review of prospectively collected data was conducted. One hundred and eighteen patients with PASTA lesion (grade A2–A3) who underwent arthroscopic transtendon repair were identified, of which 110 were eligible for the study. Ten patients were lost at final follow-up leaving a study group of 100 patients (52 male, 48 female). The average follow-up was 37 months (minimum 24 months, range 24–50, median 40). Mean age at the time of surgery was 50.4 (range 17–71, median 45). Patients were assessed before surgery and at 24-month follow-up, using the Simple Shoulder Test (SST), UCLA shoulder rating scale and the visual analogue scale (VAS). ROM was measured bilaterally and was evaluated before surgery, at 3-, 6- and 24-month follow-up. The satisfaction rate was calculated. Data were analysed using a paired Student’s t test with 95 % confidence interval (significance p < 0.05).

The arthroscopic transtendon repair of partial articular-sided rotator cuff tears is an effective procedure that leads to significant improvement in pain and shoulder function, with high patients’ satisfaction rate, while the complication rate is low. This study demonstrated the effectiveness and safety of this technique in a large homogeneous study group.

IV.