Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 18, 2026
Knotless Independent Double-Row Repair and Biceps Augmentation for Anterosuperior Rotator Cuff Tears
Published on: January 23, 2026
Clinical outcomes of double-row versus single-row rotator cuff repairs
Lindley B Wall1, Jay D Keener, Robert H Brophy
1Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Washington University, St Louis, Missouri, USA.
Purpose:
The purpose of this review was to determine whether there is a difference in the clinical outcome between single-row and double-row rotator cuff repairs.
Methods:
We performed a systematic review of the results of clinical studies investigating and comparing double-row and single-row repair techniques. The articles meeting the inclusion and exclusion criteria were assessed for quality of the study; the results were then reviewed to provide a concise conclusion regarding the clinical outcomes of double-row versus single-row rotator cuff repair.
Results:
There were 3 Level I studies and 2 Level II studies comparing the clinical outcomes of double-row and single-row rotator cuff repair. At 1-year follow-up, there was no statistically significant clinical difference between patients who had undergone double-row repair and those who had undergone single-row rotator cuff repair.
Conclusions:
Arthroscopic rotator cuff repairs with double-row repair show no significant difference compared with single-row repair in clinical outcome at 1-year follow-up. Additional prospective, randomized controlled trials are needed with longer-term follow-up to determine whether there is any clinical difference between the 2 techniques.
Level Of Evidence:
Level II, systematic review of Level I and II studies.
