Efficacy of rotator cuff suture and arthroscopic 360° capsular release in patients with rotator cuff tear with limited shoulder movement

Background: To determine the clinical efficacy of rotator cuff suture and arthroscopic 360° capsular release in patients with rotator cuff tendinopathy to improve the Constant-Murley and Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scores, and shoulder flexion.

Methods: Fifty-one patients with full-thickness rotator cuff tears and limited shoulder movement who were admitted to our hospital from October 2017 to October 2020 were selected; all patients were treated with arthroscopic rotator cuff suture and 360° capsular release. The Constant-Murley score, VAS score, and shoulder flexion angle were used to evaluate shoulder joint function before and during follow-up. Rotator cuff healing was assessed by MRI with the Sugaya classification.

Results: After treatment, the Constant-Murley score (58.98 ± 9.84) was significantly improved compared with pre-treatment (29.33 ± 9.71), the VAS score (1.23 ± 0.87) was significantly lower than pre-treatment (7.54 ± 1.22), and the shoulder flexion angle (142.67 ± 8.59°) was significantly improved compared with pre-treatment (51.50 ± 2.10°); the difference was statistically significant (P < 0.05).

Conclusions: Arthroscopic rotator cuff suture and simultaneous 360° capsular release have a significant effect on the treatment of rotator cuff tear with limited shoulder movement.