Background: The clinical results of the ARCR (Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair) for amateur golfers with rotator cuff tears are unclear.
Methods: We examined 10 shoulders of 10 patients(9 males and 1 female, 57 ∼ 74 years old, average; 65 years old, average handicap; 17 (10 ∼ 33))who underwent ARCR for rotator cuff tears. Over one year after operation, clinical results were evaluated. The mean follow-up period was 20 months. The MRI, JOA score, Japan shoulder society - shoulder sports score (JSS-SSS) and golf performance were investigated.
Results: On the MRI at one year after surgery, there were 5 shoulders of type I, 3 shoulders of type II and 2 shoulders of type III with Sugaya's classification. The mean JOA score was improved from 68.1 preoperatively to 93.7 postoperatively. The mean JSS-SSS was improved from 47.9 to 92.2 respectively. All patients returned to golf rounds at 3.5 ∼ 12 months after surgery (mean 7.4 months). The total driving distance was 101% and the mean golf score was +0.1 points compared with before surgery.
Conclusion: The clinical results of ARCR for amateur golfers were good, all patients could return to golf play with similar performance to before surgery.