Aetiopathogenesis of Rotator Cuff Tear in Patients Younger than 50 Years: Medical Conditions Play a Relevant Role.

Studies on rotator cuff tears (RCT) in patients younger than 50 years have focused on the post-operative outcomes. Little is known about cuff tear etiopathogenesis, although it is a common belief that most tears are due to trauma. We have retrospectively verified the prevalence of medical conditions, whose role in tendon degeneration development have been widely demonstrated, in a group of patients younger than 50 years with postero-superior RCT.

Macroscopic aspects of glenohumeral synovitis are related to rotator cuff tear severity.

Background: The microscopic pattern of inflammatory mediators associated with rotator cuff pathology is well documented; however, little is known regarding the contemporary presence of macroscopic inflammatory joint involvement. Our aim was to investigate shoulder synovitis in a large group of patients with different sized rotator cuff tears (RCTs) and to correlate the degree of macroscopic inflammatory changes of the glenohumeral joint with RCT severity.

Materials And Methods: A total of 296 consecutive patients (169 F, 127 M; mean age ± standard deviation: 60.