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

Kashif A Memon; Richard Dimock; Alessio Bernasconi; Anshul Sobti; Paolo Consigliere; Mohamed A Imam; A Ali Narvani

doi:10.22038/abjs.2021.52827.2654

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

Arch Bone Jt Surg. 2021 Sep;9(5):527-535. doi: 10.22038/abjs.2021.52827.2654.

Authors

Kashif A Memon¹, Richard Dimock¹, Alessio Bernasconi², Anshul Sobti³, Paolo Consigliere³, Mohamed A Imam^{1

4}, A Ali Narvani^{1

5}

Affiliations

¹ Rowley Bristow Unit, Ashford and St Peter's NHS Trust, Chertsey, United Kingdom.
² Orthopaedic and Traumatology Unit, University "Federico II" of Naples, Naples, Italy.
³ The Reading Shoulder Unit, Royal Berkshire NHS Foundation Trust, Reading, Berkshire, England.
⁴ Smart Health Academic Unit, University of East London, UK.
⁵ Fortius Clinic, London, England.

Abstract

Background: The aim of our study is to report the clinical and radiological outcomes of a series of prospectively enrolled patients who have had double-row transosseous equivalent rotator cuff repairs, where all-suture anchors were used as medial-row anchors, with a minimum follow-up of 1 year.

Methods: Twenty-two consecutive patients underwent arthroscopic transosseous equivalent double-row rotator cuff repair using all-suture anchors as medial-row anchors. Oxford Shoulder Score, Constant Score and Visual Analogue Scale pain score, together with shoulder range of motion, were used preoperatively and at 3 months, 6 months and final follow-up. Radiological evaluation was performed with magnetic resonance imaging at one-year post surgery to assess the structural integrity of the repair and the rate of cyst formation in greater tuberosity.

Results: The patient mean age was 61 years (range 46-75). Minimum follow-up was 1 year, and the mean final follow-up was 15 months (range 12-24). Healing failure in our patients was less than 5% (1/22 patients). There were significant improvements in shoulder function outcome scores at final follow-up. The Constant and Oxford scores were 78 and 44 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 improvements in outcome scores were already statistically significant at 3 months (P<.001). Using Kim's classification for cyst formation on T2-weighted MRI images, we observed no fluid or minimal fluid collection in 85% of the patients (17/22 patients). 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 anchor transosseous equivalent rotator cuff repairs. The purported advantages of all-suture anchors may outweigh their perceived disadvantages in rotator cuff repair surgery.

Keywords: All-suture anchors; Clinical outcome; Healing rates; Rotator cuff repair.