RESUMO
Twenty-seven athletes of incomplete [partial] or complete total tear of the rotator cuff were treated with anterior acromioplasty and repair of the tear. The apparatus of continuous passive motion was applied to each involved shoulder immediately after surgery. Arthroscopically, there were 12 complete tears [44.4%] and 15 incomplete tears [55.6%]. Postoperatively, 25 patients [92.2%] stated that they were satisfied with the result of this procedure and with the amount of pain reduction when compared with their preoperative condition. The functional results were good in 19 shoulders [70.4%], fair in 8 [29.6%] and there was no case of the poor grading. None of the patients changed the sports activity or even not used their operated shoulders after surgery. As regards pain rating, there were 21 [77.8%] had no pain, 5 patients [18.5%] had pain with sports only [grade 1], one patient only [3.7%] had pain with daily living activity [grade 2] and none had complained of pain at rest. By analysis of the results concerning the degree of participation in sports and competition, 15 patients [55.6%] had good results with no or mild pain and could do their former level of performance and 9 [33.35%] patients had a fair results, in that they had pain only with sports activity and their performance was less than that before injury and three patients [11.15%] either had no reduction in pain at rest or with the daily living activity and it was considered as a poor result