Current Concepts Review Débridement of Partial-Thickness Tears of the Rotator Cuff without Acromioplasty LONG-TERM FOLLOW-UP AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE*

The rotator cuff, a musculotendinous unit that acts in combination with the deltoid to allow elevation of the shoulder, is a frequent source of pain and disability. In addition, the rotator cuff maintains the humeral head centered on the glenoid and opposes the superior trans-latory and shearing force of the deltoid by compressing the humeral head in the glenoid concavity as well as by imparting an inferiorly directed force vector to the proximal aspect of the humerus. The term impingement syndrome has been used to describe symptoms related to the rotator cuff in the absence of a full-thickness tear of the cuff. The abnor-mality of the rotator cuff may range in severity from an acute strain or tendinitis to frank tearing. In all but the most acute situations, the lesion is one of chronic tendi