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

Background: The aim of our study is to report the clinical and radiological outcomes of a series of prospectivelyenrolled patients who have had double-row transosseous equivalent rotator cuff repairs, where all-suture anchorswere used as medial-row anchors, with a minimum follow-up of ۱ year.Methods: Twenty-two consecutive patients underwent arthroscopic transosseous equivalent double-row rotatorcuff repair using all-suture anchors as medial-row anchors. Oxford Shoulder Score, Constant Score and VisualAnalogue Scale pain score, together with shoulder range of motion, were used preoperatively and at ۳ months, ۶months and final follow-up. Radiological evaluation was performed with magnetic resonance imaging at one-yearpost surgery to assess the structural integrity of the repair and the rate of cyst formation in greater tuberosity.Results: The patient mean age was ۶۱ years (range ۴۶-۷۵). Minimum follow-up was ۱ year, and the mean finalfollow-up was ۱۵ months (range ۱۲-۲۴). Healing failure in our patients was less than ۵% (۱/۲۲ patients). There weresignificant improvements in shoulder function outcome scores at final follow-up. The Constant and Oxford scoreswere ۷۸ and ۴۴ at final follow-up respectively. There were similar magnitudes of improvement in range of motion(combined abduction and rotation), pain score and supraspinatus strength at final follow up. The improvementsin outcome scores were already statistically significant at ۳ months (p <.۰۰۱). Using Kim’s classification for cystformation on T۲-weighted MRI images, we observed no fluid or minimal fluid collection in ۸۵% of the patients (۱۷/۲۲patients). There were no correlations between the grade of bone changes and the clinical outcomes.Conclusion: It is safe to use all-suture anchors as medial-row anchors when performing double-row anchortransosseous equivalent rotator cuff repairs. The purported advantages of all-suture anchors may outweigh theirperceived disadvantages in rotator cuff repair surgery.Level of evidence: I

Keywords:

All-suture anchors , clinical outcome , healing rates , Rotator cuff repair