Arthroscopic Repair of Partial Thickness Articular-Side Rotator Cuff Tears: Transtendon Versus Conversion Repair Techniques

Arthroscopic Repair of Partial Thickness Articular Side Rotator Cuff Tears Using Transtendon Versus Conversion Repair Techniques.

Status

Completed

Phases

Study type

Interventional

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT07289659

Enrollment

Registered

2025-12-17

Start date

2019-10-01

Completion date

2023-03-30

Last updated

2025-12-17

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Partial Thickness Articular-Side Rotator Cuff Tears

Brief summary

This prospective randomized clinical trial compared two arthroscopic techniques for repairing partial-thickness articular-side rotator cuff tears: transtendon repair and conversion repair. Eligible patients with symptomatic tears exceeding 50% of tendon thickness, confirmed by MRI and intraoperative assessment, were randomly assigned to either repair technique. Functional outcomes, range of motion, complications, and MRI healing were assessed up to 24 months postoperatively

Interventions

PROCEDUREArthroscopic Conversion Repair

Patients undergo arthroscopic conversion repair, where the partial-thickness tear is converted to a full-thickness tear and repaired using standard arthroscopic techniques.

PROCEDUREArthroscopic Transtendon Repair

Patients undergo arthroscopic transtendon repair, preserving the intact bursal surface of the tendon while repairing the articular-side defect using suture anchors.

Study design

Allocation

RANDOMIZED

Intervention model

PARALLEL

Primary purpose

TREATMENT

Masking

NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to No maximum

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

* Patients suffering symptomatic PT-RCTs exceeding 50% of the tendon thickness, documented by preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and confirmed by arthroscopy intraoperative. * Failure of nonoperative management for at least 3 months.

Exclusion criteria

* Prior shoulder surgery. * Severe concomitant pathologies including glenohumeral arthritis, advanced subscapularis tear, and biceps tendon rupture. * Associated Bankart lesion. * Patients with uncontrolled Diabetes mellites.

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame
American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) Score	Baseline and 24 months postoperatively
Constant-Murley Score (CMS)	Baseline and 24 months postoperatively
Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for Pain	Baseline and 24 months postoperatively

Secondary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Range of Motion (ROM)	Preoperative and 24 months postoperatively.	Measure the range of: 1. Forward flexion 2. Abduction 3. External rotation 4. Internal rotation
Complication Rate	Up to 24 months postoperatively	Number of cases with: Stiffness Persistent pain Infection
MRI Healing Status	12 months postoperatively	Number of cases with complete healing in MRI

Countries

Egypt

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026