Patients who were enrolled contributed data on demographics, comorbidities 27, and historical information regarding the intensity and severity of symptoms on a questionnaire form. The purpose of this cross-sectional study is to test the hypothesis that increasing duration of symptoms in patients with atraumatic full thickness rotator cuff tears will correlate with more advanced findings of rotator cuff tear severity on MRI, worse shoulder outcome scores, more pain, decreased range of motion, and less strength on initial presentation. However it is not clear how these anatomic features are related to the development of symptoms. Repair of full thickness rotator cuff tears beyond one year of symptoms appears to have poorer results, and patients who undergo repair within three for four months of the onset of symptoms can expect a good result 10, 21, 34 however this relationship between the duration of symptoms and poorer outcomes after surgery has not been demonstrated consistently 5, 14, 26, 34.Īnatomically, an increased duration of a full thickness rotator cuff tear may contribute to increased tear size or fatty atrophy of rotator cuff muscle 12, 30, 36. In the setting of a known acute traumatic full thickness rotator cuff tear, repair within three weeks of injury has been suggested as optimal 2. The factors provoking symptoms in patients with rotator cuff tears remain unknown 35.Ĭurrently, the duration of shoulder symptoms is used as an indication for the surgical treatment of full thickness rotator cuff tears 10, 21, 34.

The prevalence of asymptomatic rotator cuff tears is high, particularly with increasing age 24, 36. The patient presenting with a full thickness rotator cuff tear can have a variety of complaints including pain, weakness, functional loss, and decreased range of motion 14.

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