Background There are numerous reports on the outcome of rotator cuff repair, but few have considered age as a factor affecting functional outcome. Hypothesis Age does not affect the anatomical and functional outcomes of rotator cuff repair. Patients and methods Twenty-eight patients with arthroscopic rotator cuff repair belonging to three different age groups were prospectively enrolled in the study and were followed up for at least 18 months after surgery. Various clinical features according to age were evaluated. The correlation was assessed between age and outcome, with adjustment for the preoperative score. Results The patient mean age was 61.6 years. There was marked improvement in postoperative pain (from 8.2 to 2.3) (P