Rotator cuff tear surgery, although intellectually interesting, does not seem to demonstrate a statistically significant clinical difference. Biceps tenotomy and tenodesis are are often performed concomitantly with rotator cuff repair or as separate procedures and can be a sole or concomitant cause of shoulder pain. Tenodesis, which may be performed as an arthroscopic or open procedure, generally restores pain free motion it the biceps tendon, or attached portion of the labrum, is the cause of the pain. Tenotomy is a shorter surgery, requiring less rehabilitation, that doctors tend to recommended for older patients who don't mind the cosmetic 'popeye sign' that sometimes is
Rotator cuff tear postoperative pain or pain medication use apparently are not seen between arthroscopic- and open-surgery. Even for full-thickness rotator cuff tears, conservative care (i.e., nonsurgical treatment) outcomes are usually reasonably good. However, many people still have disability and pain despite nonsurgical therapies. For massive tears of the rotator cuff, surgery has shown durable outcomes on 10-year follow-up. However, the same study demonstrated ongoing and progressive fatty atrophy and repeat tears of the rotator cuff. MRI evidence of fatty atrophy in the rotator cuff prior to surgery is predicative of a poor surgical outcome. If the rotator cuff is completely torn, surgery