Glenoid osteolysis after arthroscopic labrum repair with a bioabsorbable suture anchor

Bioabsorbable suture anchors are commonly used for arthroscopic repair of rotator cuff and labrum lesions. They provide soft-tissue attachment to bone. They have been introduced to avoid complications such as artefacts on MRI scans, commonly seen with metal anchors. However, bioabsorbable implants may lead to other problems such as local osteolysis, cyst formation, soft tissue inflammation and release of implant fragments into the joint space. The author describes the case of a professional female volleyball player, who presented osteolysis of the superior pole of the glenoid after arthroscopic repair of a SLAP lesion with a PLLA suture anchor. This is the first reported case of glenoid osteolysis after arthroscopic insertion of a bioabsorbable suture anchor. The author feels that the cause of osteolysis was a biological response to mechanical stress.