Clinical outcomes of arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery over-55 years of age patients with and without biceps tenotomy

Abstract

Degenerative changes of long head of biceps tendon are common with degenerative rotator cuff tears. Biceps tenotomy and tenodesis are surgical procedures that are performed mostly after 50 years of age. Biceps tenotomy may be more suitable for the treatment of long head biceps lesions in patients older than 55 years of age with reparable rotator cuff tears. In our study we aimed to compare the clinical result of the patients that had arthroscopic rotator cuff surgery with and without biceps tenotomy.
Material and method. We evaluated 20 patients with rotator cuff tear that we have performed shoulder arthroscopy retrospectively. All the patients were evaluated pre operatively and at the last control with Oxford Shoulder Score. All the patients operated side elbow range of motion were determined post operatively. Patients were divided into two groups. First group contained the patients with biceps tenotomy and second group contained patients without biceps tenotomy.
Results. Increase was detected in post-operative Oxford Shoulder Scores than preoperative values for all patients and for each group There was no restriction of elbow range of motion in all patients.
Conclusion. Tenotomy of long head of biceps tendon is short surgical procedure with pain relief in patients older than 55 years of age with reparable rotator cuff tears. Short term clinical results are good and there is no restriction in elbow range of motion after surgery.

Key words:

shoulder arthroscopy, biceps tenotomy, rotator cuff

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