Objective:To compare the short and medium-term effects of arthroscopic surgery versus intra-articular injections for rotator cuff tears with concomitant shoulder stiffness in elderly patients.Methods:We performed a retrospectively study that included 116 patients with rotator cuff tears combined with shoulder stiffness between January 2015 and June 2017, with 56 patients receiving arthroscopic surgery (the surgery group)and 60 patients given intra-articular injections (the control group). The visual analogue scale (VAS)score, range of motion (ROM), American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES)score, University of California Los Angeles (UCLA)score were recorded before treatment and 3, 6 and 12 months after treatment.Results:Compared with pre-treatment, VAS scores were lower and ROM, ASES and UCLA scores were higher in both groups after treatment ( P<0.05). At 3 months after treatment, VAS scores were higher and ASES and UCLA scores were lower in the surgery group than in the control group ( P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in ROM between the two groups ( P>0.05). At 6 and 12 months after treatment, VAS scores were lower, ROM was larger, and ASES and UCLA scores were higher in the surgery group than in the control group ( P<0.05). Conclusions:In patients with rotator cuff tears combined with shoulder stiffness, both arthroscopic surgery and intra-articular injections can alleviate pain and improve ROM and shoulder joint function.After 6 months of treatment, greater improvement is achieved in patients undergoing arthroscopic surgery than in patients receiving intra-articular injections.