Rotator cuff tear visible in thin arms. Tendon transfers are prescribed for young, active cuff-tear patients who experience weakness and decreased range of motion, but little pain. The technique is not considered appropriate for older people, or those with pre-operative stiffness or nerve injuries. People diagnosed with glenohumeral arthritis and rotator cuff anthropathy have the alternative of total shoulder arthroplasty, if the cuff is largely intact or repairable. If the cuff is incompetent then a reverse shoulder arthroplasty is available and, although not as robust a prosthesis, does not require an intact cuff to maintain a stable joint. They are known to increase
Rotator cuff tear Of those whose tears enlarge, 20% have no symptoms while 80% eventually develop symptoms. There is no irrefutable evidence that rotator cuff surgery benefits patients more than non-surgical management and a percentage of patients never regain full range of motion after surgery. Epidemiological studies strongly support a relationship between age and cuff tear prevalence. In a recent study the frequency of such tears increased from 13% in the youngest group (aged 50–59 y) to 20% (aged 60–69 y), 31% (aged 70–79 y), and 51% in the oldest group (aged 80–89 y). This high rate of tear prevalence in asymptomatic individuals