Retrospective cohort study of 33 shoulders with full-thickness supraspinatus tears treated with open or arthroscopic repair, using pre- and postoperative MRI to determine whether preoperative tendon stump length and myotendinous junction position predict structural repair failure at mean 24-month follow-up.
When evaluating a supraspinatus tear preoperatively, measure the tendon stump length on coronal MRI alongside Goutallier staging — a stump shorter than 15 mm combined with Goutallier stage 2–3 fatty infiltration carries a 92% structural failure rate and should prompt frank counseling about repair prognosis or consideration of augmentation strategies.
Retrospective cohort study of 33 shoulders with full-thickness supraspinatus tears treated with open or arthroscopic repair, using pre- and postoperative MRI to determine whether preoperative tendon stump length and myotendinous junction position predict structural repair failure at mean 24-month follow-up.
When evaluating a supraspinatus tear preoperatively, measure the tendon stump length on coronal MRI alongside Goutallier staging — a stump shorter than 15 mm combined with Goutallier stage 2–3 fatty infiltration carries a 92% structural failure rate and should prompt frank counseling about repair prognosis or consideration of augmentation strategies.