2015 ISAKOS Biennial Congress ePoster #2408

Functional and Structural Outcomes of Double-Row Versus Combined Double-Row and Suture-Bridge Repair for Rotator Cuff Tears

Jose-Ramón Muiña Rullan, MD, Madrid, Madrid SPAIN
Martín Alejandro Giménez, MD, Villa Del Rosario, Entre Ríos ARGENTINA
Jose Silberberg, MD, PhD, Madrid, Madrid SPAIN
Hospital Torrejon and Hospital Nisa Aravaca, Madrid, Madrid, SPAIN

FDA Status Not Applicable

Summary: We have found no statistically significant differences in terms of clinical and radiological outcomes after a retrospective comparative study of two surgical techniques when treating a reparable full thickness rotator cuff tear: Double row and combined double row-suture bridge techniques.

Abstract:

Purpose

The purpose of the present study was to compare the functional and structural outcome of two different arthroscopic surgical techniques as the treatment for full thickness rotator cuff tear of the shoulder: double-row and combined double row and suture-bridge techniques.

MATERIALS & METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed 42 patients with medium and large full thickness rotator cuff tear who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair using double-row (DR) and combined double row and suture-bridge techniques (DR SB).
The inclusion criterium in this study was a full thickness rotator cuff tear confirmed during arthroscopy that could be treated with a complete repair (complete tuberosity coverage). Patients were evaluated clinically by Constant modified score, pain visual analog scale and they were also asked if they would undergo the same procedure as a measure of satisfaction. Radiographically, postoperative MRIs were assessed to evaluate repair integrity using Sugaya’s classification.

Results

After a minimum of 17 months of follow-up, patients in both groups, Group I-DR (22 patients) and Group II-DR SB (20 patients) showed improvement in all measured planes at 3, 6 months and at final follow up with statistically significant improvement between the preoperative and postoperative scores (P.001), but without statistical significance between two groups.

The re-tear rates after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair were 13.64% and 11.11% for double-row and double-row SB techniques, respectively. Postoperative clinical outcomes in patients with a re-tear were significantly lower than those in patients without a re-tear for both techniques.

Conclusions

The double row and double row suture-bridge techniques are an effective option for arthroscopic repair of the rotator cuff tendons providing comparable clinical outcome and postoperative cuff integrity without statistically significant between both groups.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Level III, retrospective comparative study.