256 shoulders with rotator cuff tears including a subscapularis tear were randomized to receive either subscapularis repair or debridement, in order to determine the impact of subscapularis repair on the postoperative outcomes. After a minimum follow-up period of 24 months (range: 24-38 months; average: 31 months), results showed that no significant differences existed between methods on the clinical outcomes of rotator cuff repair. However, subscapularis repair led to significantly better results in comparison to debridement only in repairing large-to-massive rotator cuff tear.