ReviewShoulder & elbow2025
A historical review: Surgical management of massive irreparable rotator cuff tears.
Review in Shoulder & elbow, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Proteomic trajectories in human rotator cuff degeneration: a systematic review of immunohistochemical studies.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2026Pooled it
- Glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists and rotator cuff disease: a scoping review.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2026Article
- Scapular Morphometry Informs Suprascapular Nerve Injury Risk During Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty: A Cadaveric Study.Journal of clinical medicine · 2026Article
- Limited Clinical Benefit of the Subacromial Balloon Spacer in Massive Irreparable Rotator Cuff Tears: A Comprehensive Review of Clinical Outcomes and Cost-Effectiveness.JBJS reviews · 2026Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Background: Massive irreparable rotator cuff tears (MIRCTs) represent a complex clinical challenge, resulting in pain, pseudoparalysis, and functional disability. Over the past century, their surgical management has undergone significant evolution, from early open repairs to sophisticated reconstructive and joint replacement strategies. Methods: A historical narrative review was conducted, informed by a systematic search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, and landmark texts. Major surgical innovations-open repair, tendon transfers, debridement, superior capsular reconstruction (SCR), subacromial spacers, and reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA)-were examined in the context of their development and impact. Results: Open repairs offered limited success for chronic MIRCTs. Subacromial decompression and debridement provided symptom relief in low-demand patients. Tendon transfers and graft interpositions emerged as joint-preserving strategies in select cases. RSA transformed management by reliably restoring function in pseudoparalysis and cuff tear arthropathy. Contemporary techniques such as SCR and biologic augmentation aim to preserve native anatomy, but outcomes remain inconsistent. Discussion: MIRCT management has progressed from salvage repairs to a diverse toolkit of joint-preserving and reconstructive options. No single strategy is universally superior, underscoring the need for patient-specific approaches. Ongoing comparative trials and surgical consensus efforts are critical to optimising care.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.