Gazielly et al. prospectively evaluated 100 full-thickness rotator cuff repairs in 98 patients over an average 4-year follow-up, using the Constant functional score and postoperative ultrasonography to ask whether anatomical healing predicts functional outcome — and whether clinical scores alone can replace imaging in monitoring repairs.
When you repair a two- or three-tendon tear in an older manual worker, counsel them that recurrence rates exceed 40–89% and that returning to heavy labor with a thinned cuff converts a borderline repair into a full re-rupture.
Don't rely on a good Constant score alone to declare success — postoperative ultrasound is needed to distinguish truly intact repairs from thinned cuffs that are one overuse episode away from failure.
Gazielly et al. prospectively evaluated 100 full-thickness rotator cuff repairs in 98 patients over an average 4-year follow-up, using the Constant functional score and postoperative ultrasonography to ask whether anatomical healing predicts functional outcome — and whether clinical scores alone can replace imaging in monitoring repairs.
When you repair a two- or three-tendon tear in an older manual worker, counsel them that recurrence rates exceed 40–89% and that returning to heavy labor with a thinned cuff converts a borderline repair into a full re-rupture.
Don't rely on a good Constant score alone to declare success — postoperative ultrasound is needed to distinguish truly intact repairs from thinned cuffs that are one overuse episode away from failure.