This NIH-funded prospective longitudinal study followed 224 subjects with asymptomatic rotator cuff tears — 118 full-thickness, 56 partial-thickness, and 50 intact controls — annually with ultrasound and clinical evaluation for a median of 5.1 years to quantify the rates of tear enlargement, pain development, and muscle degeneration by tear type.
When a patient presents with an asymptomatic rotator cuff tear on ultrasound, use tear type to anchor your counseling: full-thickness tears carry roughly a 60% chance of enlargement within 5 years and a 50% chance of becoming painful, with a 30% risk of progressive muscle degeneration if they do enlarge — data that directly inform the conversation about watchful waiting versus early repair.
This NIH-funded prospective longitudinal study followed 224 subjects with asymptomatic rotator cuff tears — 118 full-thickness, 56 partial-thickness, and 50 intact controls — annually with ultrasound and clinical evaluation for a median of 5.1 years to quantify the rates of tear enlargement, pain development, and muscle degeneration by tear type.
When a patient presents with an asymptomatic rotator cuff tear on ultrasound, use tear type to anchor your counseling: full-thickness tears carry roughly a 60% chance of enlargement within 5 years and a 50% chance of becoming painful, with a 30% risk of progressive muscle degeneration if they do enlarge — data that directly inform the conversation about watchful waiting versus early repair.