Arthrolysis of the shoulder for ruptures of the rotator cuff.

Complete repair of tears of the rotator cuff may be difficult, but with superior arthrolysis by the Apoil-Dautry technique the lesion in the cuff is not treated. We report 17 patients who had this procedure for large cuff defects. The outcome is directly related to the duration of symptoms, and we only had good results in a few patients, although intensive physiotherapy improves function. A wide debridement is needed, followed by intensive physiotherapy for the deltoid and shoulder stabilising muscles. We recommended that this technique should be used in elderly patients who will put less demand on their shoulders.