Clinical and structural evaluation of arthroscopic double-row suture-bridge rotator cuff repair: early results of a novel technique.

PURPOSE: Assessment of repair integrity and clinical outcome after arthroscopic repair of rotator cuff tears in double-row suture-bridge technique with the use of a new knotless suture-anchor system.
METHODS: The first treated 25 patients with arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in the suture-bridge technique using a novel knotless anchor and chain-link suture system were evaluated. Patients with isolated full-thickness supraspinatus tears were selected. They were followed clinically with functional scores (Constant score, ASES index), visual analog scale (VAS), and instrumentally with Isobex digital strength analyzer preoperatively, at 6 and 14 months postoperatively. The repair integrity was evaluated with MRI at an average of 14 months postoperatively.
RESULTS: Significant improvement of pain, strength, range of motion, and functional scores occurred (P < 0.05). There was a re-tear rate of 20%. The subjective parameters (VAS and ASES Index) showed non-significant (n.s.) differences between the re-tear and intact repair groups, whereas the objective parameters (Constant score, muscle power and active ROM) showed significant differences between both groups (P < 0.05).
CONCLUSION: The functional outcome has improved significantly with this new knotless anchor-chain system and was more superior in shoulders with intact repair, whereas the resulted repair integrity was not better than other types of double-row repair techniques mentioned in the recent literature. However, this early report of the novel technique may show limited power for comparison due to the relatively small sample size.