Natural Course, Classification and Treatment Algorithms of Rotator Cuff Disease

ABSTRACT

When treating rotator cuff disease, it is crucial to understand the natural course and classification of the condition. It is necessary to distinguish whether the injury is acute, chronic, or an acute on chronic tear. From an anatomical perspective, it’s also essential to check for full thickness or partial thickness tears, and to identify any accompanying issues such as muscular atrophy or fat infiltration. Although the size of the rupture may increase over time, it is inappropriate to determine the treatment method solely based on the size or extent of the lesion, as the degree of damage and symptoms often do not align. Some studies have shown that the outcomes of surgical repairs can be similar to those of conservative treatments. Both surgical and conservative treatments can be effective depending on the case. Therefore, a careful analysis of patients and their specific lesions is required to achieve more effective treatment outcomes. What is important is to establish evidence and guidelines to determine which therapeutic approaches would be more effective for each patient.