The subacromial balloon spacer for massive irreparable rotator cuff tears: approximately 3 years of prospective follow-up.

Arthroscopic implantation of the biodegradable balloon spacer in the subacromial space is a safe and minimally invasive intervention. It leads to significant reduction in pain and significant improvement of functional daily activities in patients with irreparable RCT during 3 years of follow-up starting postoperative and maintain over time beyond device degradation. A high percentage of patients are satisfied postoperatively. Despite of these positive results after 3 years of follow-up, the specific contribution of the balloon needs further investigation.