Open Rotator Cuff Tear Repair Using Deltopectoral Approach

BACKGROUND: The goal of this study was to evaluate the outcome of the open repair of rotator cuff tears via the deltopectoral approach in patients unable to afford arthroscopic repair costs. METHODS: We evaluated 80 consecutive patients who were treated for full-thickness rotator cuff tears by open repair through the deltopectoral approach. There were 48 men and 32 women at a mean age of 60.1 years (range, 35-80 years). Preoperative and postoperative clinical assessments were performed with the Constant score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, modified University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) score, and pain visual analog scale. RESULTS: The mean follow-up period was 30.6 months (range, 18-48 months). At final follow-up visits, the ASES, Constant score, and modified UCLA score were found to have improved significantly from 33.56, 39.24, and 13.0 to 85.64, 81.46, and 32.2, respectively (P <0.01). Pain, as measured on a visual analog scale, was improved significantly (P <0.01). The mean time for recovering the full range of motion was 2.5 months. Postoperative pain at 48 hours and at 6 weeks was relatively low. There were no cases of intractable stiffness. CONCLUSION: The deltopectoral approach for open rotator cuff repair produced satisfactory results and reduces rate of shoulder stiffness and postoperative pain.