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Long-Term Results of Mini-Open Method of Rotator Cuff Repair

Surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff helps improve patients' quality of life. Less pain and improved function are the two main goals. Does the new mini-open method of doing this surgery help patients meet these goals? Researchers at the University of Alberta in Canada think so.

Patients with a full-thickness tear of the rotator cuff were treated with a mini-open repair. They were followed for up to five years. Success was measured by active shoulder motion, patient satisfaction, and return to work status.

According to this study most of the improvement came in the first six months after surgery. All but one patient was happy with the results a year later. More than three-fourths of the patients returned to work at the same level as before the operation.

The researchers tried to see if there was an effect of age or the size of the tear on the final outcome. Other studies have mixed results. The authors were unable to come to any conclusions in this study about these two factors.

References: Deniz Baysal, MD, FRCS(C), et al. Functional Outcome and Health-Related Quality of Life After Surgical Repair of Full-Thickness Rotator Cuff Tear Using a Mini-Open Technique. In The American Journal of Sports Medicine. September 2005. Vol. 33. No. 9. Pp. 1346-1355.

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