By Monica Jaramillo
ORLANDO, Fla. — Rotator cuff repair was found to be highly effective in elderly athletes ages 70 years and older, improving function, reducing pain and helping patients return to sports, according to study findings presented here.
“The baby boomers are getting older and staying active later,” Peter J. Millet, MD, MSc, told Healio.com/Orthopedics. “They are ‘young at heart,’ and many do not see themselves as old and sedentary. Unfortunately, many older patients develop rotator cuff tears that cause significant pain, limit function, cause difficulty with sleep and create limits in the sports they enjoy.” 
Millet and colleagues retrospectively reviewed prospectively obtained data for 44 patients (49 shoulders) 70 years and older who underwent primary or revision arthroscopic repair of full-thickness supraspinatus tears between December 2005 and November 2012. The mean follow-up period was 3.6 years. Data collected included demographics, surgical data, and acromion-humeral distance and Goutallier classification for fatty infiltration.
The researchers also collected pre- and postoperative American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES), Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE), QuickDASH and SF-12 scores.