This 1984 retrospective case series from the Mayo Clinic examines outcomes in 27 patients who underwent revision rotator cuff repair after a failed primary repair, asking whether a second attempt can meaningfully restore pain relief and function.
When counseling a patient with a failed rotator cuff repair, use these data: revision surgery offers a reasonable chance of partial pain relief (especially if impingement signs are present) but should not be sold as a path to functional recovery — active motion is unlikely to improve, and more than half of patients end up with a poor overall result.
If the deltoid is compromised, the tear is massive, and extra tissue is needed to close the defect, the authors recommend considering primary glenohumeral arthrodesis rather than another tendon repair attempt.
This 1984 retrospective case series from the Mayo Clinic examines outcomes in 27 patients who underwent revision rotator cuff repair after a failed primary repair, asking whether a second attempt can meaningfully restore pain relief and function.
When counseling a patient with a failed rotator cuff repair, use these data: revision surgery offers a reasonable chance of partial pain relief (especially if impingement signs are present) but should not be sold as a path to functional recovery — active motion is unlikely to improve, and more than half of patients end up with a poor overall result.
If the deltoid is compromised, the tear is massive, and extra tissue is needed to close the defect, the authors recommend considering primary glenohumeral arthrodesis rather than another tendon repair attempt.