**9. Patient satisfaction indices**

In a study of 20 patients conducted by Baydar et al. [86], 6 months following conservative treatment 55% of the patients reported that they were 'much better' and 45% said they were 'better'. At their 1-year follow-up, 50% rated themselves as 'much better' and 40% rated themselves as 'better'. This trend was also observed at the 3-year follow-up.

Kuhn et al. [55] conducted a study over a 3-month period and found that physiotherapy significantly improved pain, function and ROM. Wirth et al. [95] conducted a similar study of 60 patients, with a 2-year follow-up. On the basis of the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons evaluation (ASES) and the UCLA score, they found that the patients showed significant improvements. They noted improved pain ratings, strength, and ROM.

Boorman et al. [96] found 75% of the patients were successfully treated conservatively. They noted that the baseline rotator cuff quality-of-life index (RC-QOL) score was a significant predictor of the outcome. Eighty-nine percent of the patients maintained their 3-month outcome at the 2-year follow-up. Even subjects with increased pain and tear progression were shown to have a significant increase in their functional scores.
