Nonoperative management of full-thickness tears of the rotator cuff

Abstract

Rotator cuff tendonopathies are among the most common disorders encountered in the shoulder. There is an abundance of literature on the operative management of these lesions, but only a small amount devoted to nonoperative treatment of full-thickness tears of the rotator cuff. The purpose of this article is to review the literature pertaining to full-thickness tears as well as our results with expectant management.