56 patients with a degenerative, full-thickness rotator cuff tear were randomly assigned to receive either conservative treatment or mini-open repair in order to compare outcomes between treatment methods. Follow-up was performed for 12 months post-intervention. No significant differences were observed between overall groups in any outcome measure. In a subgroup analysis of the few patients with an intact rotator cuff (successful surgical repair/no re-tear), significantly better Constant-Murley score (CMS), Visual analogue scale (VAS) pain and VAS disability scores were noted compared to the conservative group. Nonetheless, the re-tear rate was high following mini-open repair in this study (~75%).