Resection of the acromion in the treatment of persistent rotator cuff syndrome of the shoulder.

Partial or complete excision of the acromion was performed in 25 patients (29 shoulders) with long-standing pain in the shoulder typical of rotator cuff syndrome. There was no verified history of trauma in nine cases (13 shoulders), while injury was the cause of pain in 16 patients (16 shoulders). In nine shoulders there was a small and in two a large rupture of the rotator cuff. Twelve of the 13 non-traumatic shoulders became painless postoperatively and the pain was relieved in one. In the 16 traumatic shoulders the relief of pain was complete in six, partial in nine, and one remained unchanged. The condition was not aggravated in any of the cases. Mobility increased postoperatively in four cases and was in no case decreased by the operation. In this series the results were as favourable after partial as after complete excision of the acromion alone or excision in combination with other procedures appears to be a promising method of treatment of patients with long-standing rotator cuff syndrome.