Clinical and Radiological Outcomes of Rotator Cuff Repairs Using All-Suture Anchors as Medial Row Anchors

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Biomaterials Science

Background:

• Double-row rotator cuff repair is a common surgical procedure.
• All-suture anchors are increasingly used as medial-row anchors in these repairs.
• Evaluating the clinical and radiological outcomes of this technique is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the clinical and radiological outcomes of double-row transosseous equivalent rotator cuff repairs using all-suture anchors as medial-row anchors.
• To evaluate patient-reported outcomes and structural integrity of the repair.
• To determine the safety and efficacy of this surgical technique.

Main Methods:

• Prospective enrollment of 22 consecutive patients undergoing arthroscopic repair.
• Utilized all-suture anchors for medial-row fixation in a transosseous equivalent technique.
• Collected Oxford Shoulder Score, Constant Score, VAS pain, and range of motion preoperatively and postoperatively at 3, 6, and final follow-up (minimum 1 year).
• Performed MRI at 1 year to assess repair integrity and cyst formation.

Main Results:

• Mean patient age was 61 years, with a mean follow-up of 15 months.
• Healing failure rate was low (<5%), with significant improvements in shoulder function (Constant Score 78, Oxford Score 44) and pain scores observed by 3 months.
• 85% of patients showed no or minimal fluid collection on MRI, with no correlation between bone changes and clinical outcomes.

Conclusions:

• All-suture anchors are safe and effective when used as medial-row anchors in double-row transosseous equivalent rotator cuff repairs.
• The advantages of all-suture anchors may surpass their potential drawbacks in rotator cuff surgery.
• This technique demonstrates favorable clinical and radiological results with high patient satisfaction.