Yes. I'm not sure this is so true for full thickness tears, but in general I think your point stands.

That said, patients also want surgery. I can't tell you how many patients I have referred to physical therapy for conditions which we know are improved by physical therapy (like routine lower back pain, minor muscle strains, etc) and they look at me like I'm crazy. I've seen it work in my patients that actually went and participated, but most go through the motions and stop going after a session or two because 'it wasn't helping'. I think part of american culture is that we want instant fixes, even for problems that have been brewing for decades like heart disease and diabetes... /endRant