Assessment of the clinical effectiveness of surgical treatment of massive rotator cuff tendon tears

According to the literature, the frequency of rotator cuff tendon injuries varies from 22.1 % to 34 %, while only 30 % of patients with diagnosed tendon tears experience pain and limited mobility in the upper limb. Massive tears, defined as damage to two or more tendons or retraction exceeding 5 cm, accompanied by muscle atrophy and fatty degeneration, pose a particular challenge. The treatment of such injuries is a challenging task in orthopedic practice due to the high risk of recurrence, which can reach 18–94 %.

The aim. To evaluate the clinical effectiveness of surgical treatment of rotator cuff injuries using the original method of autografting from half of the tibialis anterior tendon.

Materials and methods. A prospective analysis of the treatment results was conducted in 20 patients with massive rotator cuff tears who underwent surgical treatment using the original method developed at the Irkutsk Scientific Centre of Surgery and Traumatology.

Results. Analysis of intraoperative parameters (blood loss, duration of surgery) and postoperative functional recovery according to the UCLA and ASES scales showed that after one year, the vast majority (95 %) of patients had good and excellent results. The patients achieved an amplitude of flexion and abduction in the shoulder joint of 150–180°.

Conclusion. The developed method of rotator cuff defectplasty using an autotendinous graft formed from ½ of the long tibial tendon ensures regression of pain syndrome and restoration of the function of the injured upper limb in a shorter period of time.

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