ArticleCureus2026
Conservative Management Versus Arthroscopic Repair for Symptomatic Partial-Thickness Supraspinatus Tears: A Prospective Comparative Analytical Study.
Article in Cureus, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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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.
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Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
Introduction The optimal management of symptomatic partial-thickness rotator cuff tears (Ellman Grade II and III) remains controversial. While meta-analyses exist for full-thickness tears, prospective comparative data specifically for these intermediate lesions is limited. This study compared the functional outcomes of structured conservative rehabilitation versus arthroscopic repair to determine therapeutic efficacy. Methods A prospective comparative analytical study was conducted involving 50 patients with MRI-confirmed symptomatic partial-thickness supraspinatus tears. Patients were allocated to either conservative management (n=25) involving a supervised FITT-based rehabilitation protocol or arthroscopic repair (n=25) based on shared decision-making. Functional outcomes were assessed using the Constant-Murley Score (CMS) and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) at baseline, 1 month, and 6 months. Results Baseline characteristics were well-matched. At six months, both groups demonstrated significant functional improvement, with no statistically significant difference in final CMS (conservative: 75.7 ± 5.9 vs. surgical: 75.0 ± 6.7; p=0.723). The conservative group demonstrated a significant early functional advantage at 1 month (p<0.001) due to the avoidance of postoperative immobilization. While the surgical group achieved statistically lower absolute pain scores at 6 months (p=0.007), the mean difference (0.40 points) did not exceed the Minimal Clinically Important Difference (MCID). Conclusion Structured conservative management yields short-term functional outcomes equivalent to arthroscopic repair for symptomatic partial-thickness supraspinatus tears, with the added benefit of faster early recovery. These findings support conservative care as a robust first-line strategy. Limitations include the non-randomized design and short-term follow-up, necessitating future longitudinal research to assess tear progression.
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