Rotator Cuff Repair Outcomes: Dr. Patrick Denard's Published Results

Patrick J. Denard, MD

5 min read

Patient discussing shoulder recovery and satisfaction with a surgeon

Short answer: In studies Dr. Patrick Denard published, 88% to 89% of patients with massive rotator cuff tears were satisfied a minimum of four years after arthroscopic repair, and 5% went on to a reverse shoulder replacement (Pak 2023, PMID 37645387; Ardebol 2023, PMID 37388869). These are published study results for groups of patients, not a guarantee of any one person's result.

Why we publish our numbers

When you're choosing a surgeon, it's fair to ask for results, not just reassurance. Most of the numbers below come from studies I led as senior author, and every one links to its abstract on PubMed so you can read it yourself. Where a study included patients from other surgeons or centers, I say so.

Please read these as published study results. Each study had its own patients, definitions and follow-up. Your own result depends on your tear, your tissue, your health and your recovery.

Massive tears: the series from my practice

These studies follow a group of patients with massive tears (two tendons completely torn, or a tear larger than 5 cm) repaired arthroscopically between 2015 and 2018. Two of them combine my patients with those of a second surgeon at another institution.

Satisfied with surgery: 88% (89 of 101) (101 patients, mean 63.6 months; Pak 2023, PMID 37645387)
Went on to reverse replacement: 5% (same; Pak 2023, PMID 37645387)
Shoulder function score (ASES): 40.1 before, 78 after (same; Pak 2023, PMID 37645387)
Meaningful improvement in function (ASES): 77.5% of patients (same; Pak 2023, PMID 37645387)
Complete tendon healing on ultrasound: 56% (39 patients scanned; Pak 2023, PMID 37645387)
Satisfied with surgery: 89% (100 patients, minimum 4 years; Ardebol 2023, PMID 37388869)
Home versus supervised therapy: Comparable from 6 months (99 patients, single center; Ardebol 2025, PMID 38986853)

Healing and satisfaction are not the same thing. In the 101-patient series, tendon healing did not affect outcomes (Pak 2023, PMID 37645387). Healing is still the goal, but an incomplete heal doesn't mean the surgery failed.

Other repair results

Full-thickness supraspinatus, double-row repair: 88% complete healing, 88% satisfied (24 patients, minimum 1 year; Noyes 2021, PMID 33002184)
Large and massive, rip-stop repair: 82% satisfied, 53% complete healing (17 patients, minimum 2 years; Noyes 2017, PMID 28624239)
Massive tears with pseudoparalysis: Overhead lifting restored in 95% (53 of 56) (56 patients, minimum 1 year, multicenter; Denard 2015, PMID 26297521)
Subscapularis repairs: Healing 84.3% to 91.6% by tear pattern (588 patients, minimum 2 years; Kilic 2025, PMID 40342352)
Irreparable tears, SCR: 74.6% success, 18.6% needed another procedure (59 patients, minimum 1 year, multicenter; Denard 2018, PMID 29146165)
Pain medicine after repair: 77% needed fewer than 15 oxycodone pills (100 patients, first 14 days; Mandava 2021, PMID 33144226)

What predicts a better or worse result

Our data point to a few patterns worth knowing before surgery.

Muscle quality. Greater fatty infiltration of the infraspinatus muscle was linked to not reaching a clinically meaningful improvement (Hwang 2024, PMID 37394149) and to dissatisfaction (Ardebol 2023, PMID 37388869).
Sex. Women were more likely to be dissatisfied after massive tear repair (same source).
Work. Satisfied patients returned to work 97% of the time, versus 55% of dissatisfied patients (same source).
Where you live. Patients from the most disadvantaged neighborhoods had more failed healing (21% versus 6%) but similar functional improvement (Ardebol 2024, PMID 37774937).

We are also working on prediction. In a study I co-authored using a large surgical outcomes registry, a machine learning model built from 631 patients predicted 12-month function within a clinically meaningful margin in 67% of cases, using factors like starting function, pain, body mass index, age and tendon quality (Potty 2023, PMID 36983368).

Experience

Dr. Denard has performed more than 10,000 shoulder surgeries, all rotator cuff repairs arthroscopically, and PubMed lists more than 130 of his papers on the rotator cuff (search run 17 October 2026).

How to read these numbers

Satisfaction is the patient's own rating of the operation.
ASES is a 0 to 100 shoulder score for pain and daily function. Higher is better.
Healing was checked by ultrasound or MRI, which shows whether the tendon is attached to bone.
Small numbers mean wider uncertainty. A result from 24 patients is less certain than one from 588.

Who is Dr. Denard

Dr. Patrick J. Denard is a fellowship-trained shoulder surgeon and the founder of Oregon Shoulder Institute in Medford, Oregon. He has performed more than 10,000 shoulder surgeries. PubMed lists more than 300 of his peer-reviewed papers, over 130 of them on the rotator cuff, and he co-authored the 2016 arthroscopic superior capsular reconstruction technique papers with Dr. Stephen Burkhart and Dr. Christopher Adams. Expertscape ranked him #2 in the world for rotator cuff repair in 2021 and seventh in the world in 2023.

Frequently asked questions

What is the success rate of rotator cuff repair with Dr. Denard?

In Dr. Denard's published series of 101 massive tears, 88% of patients were satisfied at a mean of 63.6 months (Pak 2023, PMID 37645387). Results for other tear types are listed above, and results vary by person.

What is the re-tear rate?

It depends on tear size. Complete healing was 88% in 24 standard double-row repairs (Noyes 2021, PMID 33002184) and 56% in massive tears scanned at final follow-up (Pak 2023, PMID 37645387).

If my tendon doesn't fully heal, will I still improve?

Often, yes. In the massive tear series, tendon healing did not affect outcomes (Pak 2023, PMID 37645387).

How often do patients need a shoulder replacement after a massive tear repair?

In the 101-patient series, 5% went on to a reverse shoulder replacement during the study period (Pak 2023, PMID 37645387).

Are these results a guarantee?

No. They are published study results for groups of patients. Your surgeon should explain how your tear, health and goals change your own odds.

Can I find out how my tear compares?

Yes. A remote MRI review gives you Dr. Denard's read on your tear and what he would recommend.

Next step

Dr. Denard can review your MRI and report remotely and send you a narrated video explaining what he sees and what he would recommend, typically within 48 hours, for $250. Start a remote MRI review. To be seen in person in Medford or Grants Pass, request an appointment or call 541-608-2595.

Patrick J. Denard, MD

Dr. Denard is a shoulder surgeon at Oregon Shoulder Institute in Medford, Oregon. He is ranked #2 in North America for rotator cuff repair and #17 globally for shoulder replacement, has authored over 300 peer-reviewed publications, and performs over 400 shoulder surgeries annually.

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