Purpose of the study: Little is known about the clinical profile of patients aged less than 65 years who present a large or massive rotator cuff tear. We hypothesized that this clinical profile depends on the type of tear.

Material and method: This was a prospective descriptive multicentric study over a period of six months which included 112 patients aged less than 65 years, 66 men and 46 women, mean age 56.3 years (range 35–65) who had a large or massive rotator cuff tear. The Constant score and active and passive range of motion, subacromial height and fatty infiltration according to the Goutallier classification were noted. Patients were divided into four classes according to deficit in active elevation and external rotation: class A (n=55, no deficit), class B (n=19, deficient elevation alone), class C (n=28, deficient external rotation alone), class C (n=10, deficient elevation and external rotation).

Results: These classes were not significantly different for age, sex-ratio, duration of symptoms, or presence of subscapular involvement. Trauma was involved more often in patients in class B and class D. The mean absolute Constant score was significantly lower in patients in class B (30.2) or D (23.5) than in class A (53.3) or C (44.7). The subacromial space was significantly narrower in group D (5 mm) than in the other groups. Fatty infiltration of the infraspinatus scores > II was significantly more common in groups C and D. Severe fatty degeneration of the subscapular (> II) was found in only eight shoulders and was not correlated with defective active elevation.

Discussion: This study demonstrates that deficient external rotation is correlated with the type of tear but has little impact on the Constant score. Conversely, patients with deficient active elevation have a lower Constant score but do not exhibit characteristically different tears than patients without deficient active elevation. Thus, the management scheme should be no different in patients with deficient elevation than in patients with out deficient elevation, excepting cases with a major lesion of the subscapularis.