[Lesions of the rotator cuff of the shoulder. Surgical treatment. Apropos of 100 surgically treated cases].

After reviewing 98 cases with an average follow-up period of one to nine years, the authors describe the surgical indications for simple reinsertion of the supraspinatus muscle, reinsertion with muscle belly transfer, acromioplasty, and simple removal of intratendinous calcifications. The painful shoulder without tendinous tears confirmed by arthrography and with anterior involvement is easily improved by resecting the acromiocoracoid ligament, the anterior border and the inferior portion of the acromion. This anterior release can be associated with a curettage of calcifications if present. Tears of the supraspinatus can be reinserted on the greater trochanter without muscles transfer in 90% of cases. Satisfactory pain relief and function return while only very extensive tears with significant muscle retraction may require transfer of the muscle belly. Surgical repair of the rheumatologic should however, is performed rarely, and should be reserved for the infrequent cases that do not respond to medical therapy.