What is a rotator cuff tear?

The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and tendons that help lift and rotate the shoulder.

A massive irreparable rotator cuff tear is a large tear that cannot be fully repaired back to normal. These tears can lead to:

• pain

• weakness

• poor movement

• difficulty washing, dressing, lifting, or sleeping

• reduced independence

Why is this study needed?

These tears are common in older adults and can have a major impact on daily life.

In the NHS, surgeons already use partial repair and debridement for this problem. However, practice varies, and there is not yet enough strong evidence to guide treatment consistently.

SPARC Study has been designed to address that gap.

What are the two procedures?

Partial repair
A keyhole operation where the surgeon repairs as much of the tendon as possible. The aim is to improve pain and function, even when a full repair is not achievable.

Debridement
A keyhole operation where the surgeon removes inflamed or damaged tissue to reduce pain, without trying to repair the tendon itself.

Both are considered joint-preserving procedures and may help delay or avoid more major surgery such as shoulder replacement.

What is SPARC trying to find out?

SPARC is a feasibility study. That means it is testing whether a larger study should happen in the future.

We want to know:

• can patients be recruited and followed up successfully?

• are the study processes acceptable to patients and clinical teams?

• what outcomes should a future trial measure?

• can surgery-related tissue samples be collected reliably during routine NHS care?