Outcomes of surgical repair of partial thickness rotator cuff tears in patients with calcific tendinitis

Calcific tendinitis of the rotator cuff is a common disorder and can be successfully treated with non-operative techniques in most cases, although surgical management should be considered in some patients for adequate calcium removal. No clear consensus exists regarding whether the involved tendinous portion to be repaired or not with suture following the deposit removal. The purpose of this study is to evaluate and compare results of re-fixation and debridement of the rotator cuff tendons after calcium removal. Material and methods The study is a retrospective analysis of case histories, operation protocols, magnetic resonance images and radiographs of the shoulder of 19 consecutive patients diagnosed with calcific tendinitis that was surgically treated at our clinic between 2013 and 2016. The median age of the patients was 52 years. All patients were divided into two groups depending on the surgical treatment performed. Calcium deposit was removed and the rotator cuff sutured in patients of the main group, and calcium was removed and the rotator cuff debrided in controls...