Clinical results of the surgical treatment algorithm for patients with partial thickness rotator cuff tears of the shoulder

Objective - To compare the functional results of the new algorithm and traditional tactics of surgical treatment of patients with partial-thickness rotator cuff tears (PT-RCT).Material and methods. The study is based on a comparison of the functional results of treatment of 251 patients with symptomatic PT-RCT of the shoulder after 24 months after arthroscopy. Depending on the algorithm for choosing the method of surgical treatment, a prospective study group of 130 patients and a retrospective comparison group of 121 patients were formed. The choice of arthroscopic manipulations performed in patients of the study group was determined in accordance with the proposed algorithm, taking into account the depth, localization and shape of the partial rupture, based on the results of a comparative analysis of the results of treatment of own patients and literature data. The effectiveness of the algorithm was compared with traditional tactics based on the «50%-rule» and trans-tendon fixation of cuff tendons.The functional state of patients was assessed using the ASES, Constant and visual analogue scales (VAS), and the amplitude of movements in the shoulder joint was measured before treatment and after 24 months after operation. There were no statistically significant demographic differences between the compared groups. Student t-tests were used with a confidence interval of 95%. Dichotomous variables were compared using the Pearson test. A critical level of statistical significance was taken 5%.Results. The functional state of patients, the range of motion in the shoulder joint and the intensity of pain significantly (p function show_eabstract() { $('#eabstract1').hide(); $('#eabstract2').show(); $('#eabstract_expand').hide(); }