Editorial Commentary: The Partial Thickness Rotator Cuff Tear: Is Acromioplasty Without Repair Ever Indicated?

I believe that arthroscopic repair is the treatment of choice for patients with partial thickness rotator cuff tears when nonoperative methods have been exhausted. Excluding overhead athletes and patients in whom long head biceps tendon pathology is the primary concern, I do not believe that a significant role exists for debridement with or without acromioplasty in the majority of patients with partial thickness tears. Regarding the repair technique, I prefer in situ repair for bursal-sided tears because the superior capsule is intact and completion of the tear with repair for articular-sided tears.