Colorado shoulder specialist Peter Millet MD, MSc recently published an article in the American Journal of Sports Medicine on “Two-Year Outcomes After Arthroscopic in Recreational Athletes Older Than 70 Years.” Prior to this study the outcome of rotator cuff repairs in recreational senior athletes over 70 years old was not widely known or studied. The purpose of this study was to see if arthroscopic rotator cuff repair of full-thickness rotator cuff tears in aging recreational athletes could help them eliminate pain, restore function, and return to sports activities.
With the baby boomer generation, senior individuals have shown an increasing desire to remain physically active. These expectations often warrant surgical treatment of rotator cuff tears in this population. “Patients don’t want to live with pain or disability anymore, and now we know that surgery can benefit them so they don’t have to,“ reports Dr. Millett.