[Current concepts in treatment of rotator cuff tears]

The expectation of a functional shoulder joint, even in advanced age, the growing experience and success in shoulder surgery have brought the operative treatment another step further. The goal of any advanced knowledge should be a proper treatment of the patients and the pathology. Complex rotator cuff tears can be repaired by means of muscle transfer and partial reconstruction. In cases of irreparable rotator cuff tear arthropathy prosthetic replacement of the gleno-humeral joint can be performed. In this article a review on the different techniques and indications for rotator cuff repair is given.