Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical success rate of nonoperative treatment of partial-thickness rotator cuff tears (PT-RCTs), to determine baseline clinical factors predictive of outcome of nonoperative treatment of PT-RCTs, and to determine the imaging outcome of nonoperative treatment of PT-RCTs.
Patients and methods: All patients with a primary diagnosis of a PT-RCT were eligible for inclusion. Seventy-six patients (48 males, 28 females) with an average age of 52±10 years were included in the study. Patients were evaluated using a standardized format including clinical, imaging, and shoulder specific quality-of-life outcomes. Patients were assessed and treated either successfully nonoperatively or consented to undergo surgical intervention of their PT-RCT. Patients treated nonoperatively underwent follow-up by MRI arthrogram.
Results: Thirty-seven patients (49%) underwent nonoperative treatment. Logistic regression analysis indicated that the baseline variables of side (dominant or nondominant side involved), onset (traumatic or atraumatic), and thickness of tendon tear (<50% or >50%) were significant predictors of outcome. At a mean 46±7 months of follow-up, nonoperatively treated patients demonstrated a mean American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score of 85.1±16.0, and a Simple Shoulder Test score of 10.0±2.5. Overall, 76% of tears treated nonoperatively did not show a tear progression on anatomic imaging. Nine patients (24%) demonstrated tear progression, of which three patients (8%) demonstrated full-thickness tearing.
Conclusion: Nonoperative treatment was utilized in ~50% of the patients and resulted in improved clinical outcomes. Onset, shoulder involved, and thickness of the tear were predictive of the success of nonoperative treatment.

Keywords: magnetic resonance imaging follow-up, nonoperative, partial-thickness rotator cuff tears, rotator cuff


中文翻译：

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厚度不全的肩袖撕裂：非手术治疗成功的临床和影像学结果以及预后因素

目的：本研究的目的是确定部分厚度的肩袖撕裂（PT-RCTs）的非手术治疗的临床成功率，确定可预测非手术性PT-RCTs治疗结果的基线临床因素，并确定PT-RCT非手术治疗的影像学结果。
患者和方法：所有初步诊断为PT-RCT的患者均符合纳入条件。该研究纳入了平均年龄为52±10岁的76例患者（男性48例，女性28例）。使用标准化格式对患者进行评估，包括临床，影像学和特定于肩膀的生活质量预后。对患者进行了评估，并成功地进行了非手术治疗或同意对其PT-RCT进行手术干预。非手术治疗的患者接受MRI关节造影随访。
结果：三十七名患者（49％）接受了非手术治疗。Logistic回归分析表明，一侧（主要或非主要侧），发作（创伤或无创伤）和肌腱撕裂厚度（<50％或> 50％）的基线变量是预后的重要预测指标。在平均46±7个月的随访中，未经手术治疗的患者表现出平均美国肩肘外科医师评分为85.1±16.0，简单肩部测试评分为10.0±2.5。总体而言，未经手术治疗的眼泪中有76％在解剖学影像学上未显示眼泪进展。9例（24％）表现为泪液进展，其中3例（8％）表现为全层撕裂。
结论：约50％的患者采用了非手术治疗，从而改善了临床结局。发作，肩部受累和泪液厚度可预测非手术治疗是否成功。

关键词：磁共振成像随访，非手术，部分厚度肩袖撕裂，肩袖