Complete Rupture of the Supraspinatus Tendon

It is a trite remark to say that there is no teacher like experience, but it is unfortunately a truism which, when applied to surgery, carries unpleasant implications for the patient. My excuse in offering this paper is to record a personal experience in relation to injuries of the shoulder and to present the conclusions I have drawn from it in the hope that they may be of benefit to other surgeons. In the last eighteen months I have come to realize that complete rupture of the supraspinatus tendon is a common lesion. During that period I have made this diagnosis in ten patients, of whom seven have submitted to operation, at which time I was able to confirm the diagnosis and repair the tendon. Previous to this, in a surgical experience covering approximately sixteen years, I had made this diagnosis only twice. I am convinced from what I have