Comparative Analysis of Mini Open versus Arthroscopic Repair of Supraspinatus Tears

Abstract

Background and Aim: Among all the rotator cuff tendon injuries, supraspinatus tear is very common and it is most
common in older individuals. Before the arthroscopy came into high demand, the open repair of supraspinatus
tear was the preferred method of surgery. Recently, the miniopen technique of repair has also gained popularity
because of certain factors like better repair strength, requires less expertise and facilitates early active mobilization.
Present stud was performed to compare functional and clinical outcomes of arthroscopic and mini-open repair.
Material and Methods: The present analysis is the randomized control study done on the patients diagnosed
with rotator cuff tears and was planned with supraspinatus repair with the use of arthroscopic and mini open
technique. As per the inclusion and exclusion criteria total of 128 patients were included in the study. The included
patients were equally divided into two groups: 64 patients who underwent mini-open repair and 64 patients
who underwent arthroscopic repair. Follow up was done after 12 months postoperatively and the results were
evaluated using University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder score.
Results: For arthroscopic repair group, UCLA shoulder score were: 26 patients got excellent result, 30 patients got
good result and only 8 patients got fair result. In the other group UCLA shoulder score were: 22 patients in whom
excellent results were obtained good results were obtained in 32 patients and in 10 patients we got fair results.
Conclusion: The arthroscopic procedure decreased postoperative pain, faster regains normal ROM and quicker
return to function and in turn early return to work compared to mini-open procedure. The arthroscopic procedure
better in addressing intra-articular and other associated problems than mini-open technique.