• Clinics in Shoulder and Elbow
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.109-117
• /
• 1998

We evaluated the results of the surgery for impingement syndromes and partial thickness tears of the rotator cuff with an average follow-up period of 15 months. One group(group I) of 43 patients, 46 cases underwent arthroscopic subacromial decompression. The other comparable group(group Ⅱ) of 10 patients, II cases underwent open acromioplasty. The average age at operation was 48 years, old. Arthroscopic subacromial decompression achieved slightly better pain relief, the range of the acti ve forward flexion, function, strength and the overall score with improvement from the preoperative condition than open acromioplasty. The patient's satisfaction was better in group I as well. Using the UCLA Shoulder Rating Scale, 89% of group I and 82% of group n had good or excellent results. Preservation of the origin of the deltoid during an arthroscopic acromioplasty reduced the postoperative morbidity and made it possible to start rehabilitation sooner and to achieve the better and more predictable results.