Partial articular supraspinatus tendon avulsion: Should we repair? A systematic review of the evidence

Abstract

Introduction

Partial articular sided rotator cuff tears are described as being a common cause of shoulder pain and to have a significant impact of patient quality of life. The natural history of partial articular supraspinatus tendon avulsion lesions is not clearly defined and there is limited evidence to determine optimal management.

Aims

To perform a systematic review of the literature regarding the evidence for partial articular supraspinatus tendon avulsion repair and to determine whether there is any difference between operative and non-operatively managed patients.

Methods

Conventional and grey literature were searched with defined terms to identify studies in human adults concerning management of partial articular sided supraspinatus avulsions.

Results

Out of 86 papers identified by the search terms, 28 were deemed eligible for review including 1966 shoulders. 4/28 papers were of level I–II evidence but all were comparing techniques. 4/28 papers were biomechanical cadaveric studies, assessing strength of repair and effect on stability. The remaining 20 studies were level IV–V evidence and consisted of case series and technical notes identifying varying techniques of repair and their outcomes.

Conclusion

Current literature suggests that all techniques used to repair partial articular supraspinatus tendon avulsion lesions give increased functional scores and reduced pain. However, this represents a heterogeneous group of patients with variable degrees of tear and is not reproducible. There are limited controlled studies to determine whether partial articular supraspinatus tendon avulsion lesions require repair. Current classification systems represent a single plane and are open to user variation. No evidence exists to determine which tears are stable and which may progress.