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After a couple months messing with a rotator cuff tear I've decided to have it fixed with an operation. I'm 69 years old. Is my age against me?

There have been a few studies looking at the effect of age on rotator cuff tear surgery. These same studies also look at the size of the tear as a possible factor in the results.

Not too many people in your age group have this surgery. Results are mixed without a clear conclusion. Shoulder motion and function seems to be better in the younger age groups even before the operation.

Smaller tears seem to have a better final result in all age groups. Some studies have mixed results. In general researchers are unable to reach a final conclusion about the effect of patient age on the outcome.

Reference: 

Deniz Baysal, MD, FRCS(C), et al. Functional Outcome and Health-Related Quality of Life After Surgical Repair of Full-Thickness Rotator Cuff Tear Using a Mini-Open Technique. In The American Journal of Sports Medicine. September 2005. Vol. 33. No. 9. Pp. 1346-1355.

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