48 patients with partial-thickness articular-sided rotator cuff tears greater than 50% of the tendon were randomized either to repair using an arthroscopic transtendon repair technique or to an arthroscopic repair following conversion to a full-thickness cuff tear. This study aimed to compare the clinical outcomes between these repair techniques. Early postoperative results at 3 months demonstrated that repair following conversion to a full tear provided greater reductions in pain and improvements in functional scores. These results were not maintained at later follow-ups, with both techniques providing satisfactory results.