ISOLATED LESIONS OF THE SUBSCAPULARIS TENDON

Objectives: To evaluate the results of surgically treated patients with isolated subscapularis tendon injuries. Patients and Methods: Twelve patients with isolated tears of the subscapularis muscle tendon surgically treated between June 1987 and April 2005 were evaluated. Ten patients had traumatic injuries. Eight patients were males and four females. The duration of preoperative pain ranged from three days to 72 months. Seven patients were submitted to arthroscopic procedures and five to open surgical ones. Seven had complete tendon ears while five showed partial injuries. Results: The mean range of motion of the patients has improved from pre-operative to final evaluation from 135 degrees to 150 degrees of forward lifting, from 60 degrees to 50 degrees of lateral rotation, and from T12 to T9 for medial rotation. Six patients returned to their pre-injury level of sports activity. Using the UCLA score, 11 patients showed excellent or good results. 33.3% of the cases were associated to injuries of the long head of the brachial biceps. Conclusion: Isolated tears of the subscapularis tendon addressed with surgery lead to good outcomes and patient satisfaction.