Management of full thickness rotator cuff tears. A survey amongst members of the Flemish Elbow and Shoulder Surgeons Society (FLESSS).

The purpose of this study was to determine the attitude of the members of the Flemish Elbow and Shoulder Surgeons Society (FLESSS) towards full-thickness tears of the rotator cuff and their treatment in their daily practice. A survey form was sent to 123 shoulder surgeons between January and March 2008. Seventy-three responses were returned, a 60% response rate. For 40% of the respondents, arthro-CT was the gold standard diagnostic method for assessment, 36% preferred arthro-MRI. Arthroscopic, mini-open and open cuff repair were preferred by 64%, 19% and 16% of the responders respectively. Fewer years in practice, a higher volume of shoulder operations and a higher volume of rotator cuff repairs were significantly correlated with a higher percentage of arthroscopic repairs (p > or = 0.001). With respect to the type of fixation, 91% preferred screw-type anchors, and of these 81% were metal anchors. Our results show that all-arthroscopic techniques are becoming the gold standard for the repair of full-thickness tears of the rotator cuff in Flanders.