Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair Using the Suture Loop Shuttle Technique

With the arthroscope in the posterior portal, several suture loops are passed through the rotator cuff via the superior lateral portal before the first anchor is inserted. The suture loop is created by passing both free ends of a No. 2 monofilament (48-inch Prolene, Ethilon, or PDS; Ethicon, Somerville, NJ) suture into an arthroscopic suture passing device. The free ends and the loop of each suture loop are temporarily transferred into the anterior cannula. Anchor insertion and passage of the anchored sutures are performed from posterior to anterior. With standard suture anchors, the loop end of the suture loop must be located on the undersurface of the cuff. The suture anchors are inserted one at a time through the superior lateral portal and are placed into the prepared holes. Anchored sutures are temporarily pulled out through the inferior lateral portal. Next, the free ends of the most posterior suture loop are retrieved through the superior lateral portal. The looped end of this suture loop is retrieved through the inferior lateral portal. The suture loop is used to shuttle a single anchored suture through the rotator cuff and out through the superior lateral portal. Then, the other anchored suture is retrieved through the superior lateral portal with a suture grasper and tied.     

Medial Rotator Cuff Failure After Arthroscopic Double-Row Rotator Cuff Repair

Persistent tendon defects after rotator cuff repair are not uncommon. Recently, the senior author has identified a subset of 5 patients (mean age, 52 years; range, 42 to 59 years) after arthroscopic double-row rotator cuff repair who showed an unusual mechanism of tendon failure. In these patients the tendon footprint appears well fixed to the greater tuberosity with normal thickness. However, medial to the intact footprint, the tendon is torn with full-thickness defects through the rotator cuff. All patients were involved in Workers' Compensation claims. Magnetic resonance arthrography showed an intact cuff footprint but dye leakage in all patients. Revision surgery was performed at a mean of 8.6 months after the index procedure and showed an intact rotator cuff footprint but cuff failure medial to the footprint. Four patients had repair of the defects by tendon-to-tendon side-to-side sutures, whereas one did not undergo repair. Medial-row failure of the rotator cuff is a previously unreported mechanism of failure after double-row rotator cuff repair. Given the small number of patients in this study, it is unclear whether these defects are symptomatic. However, repair of these defects resulted in improvement in pain in 4 of 5 patients.     

Single Row Rotator Cuff Repair with Triple Loaded Suture Anchors: The SCOI Row Technique

Since the introduction of rotator cuff repair in the beginning of the 20th century, there have been significant advances in the surgical techniques and improvement in patient outcomes. However, controversy remains regarding the best method for tendon repair, including implant choice, ideal suture construct, and the potential benefits of supplemental biologic additives in order to achieve repair with the best opportunity for healing. The “SCOI Row” technique has been refined over three decades with extensive application and consistently good outcomes. Our technique uses a single row of anchors, triple loaded with a high-strength suture maximizing the number of sutures passed through the tendon to repair the rotator cuff arthroscopically. These anchors are placed 3-4 millimeters from the articular cartilage, providing strong anchorage and a low-tension repair. Debridement of devitalized tendon and only incorporating healthy tendon into the repair is imperative. The biology of the repair is enhanced with bone marrow vents created via microfracture of the greater tuberosity, forming the “Crimson Duvet” or bone marrow super-clot that will envelope the repair site. The bone marrow vents deliver marrow elements, including growth factors and mesenchymal cells that will help to regenerate the footprint of the rotator cuff. This repair construct has been evaluated biomechanically by other investigators and is favorable, as compared to dual row repairs. Our outcomes show greater than 90 % healing rate on postoperative magnetic resonance imaging and excellent patient-reported outcomes.     

Biomechanical Fixation in Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair

Rotator cuff repair remains a challenging and rapidly evolving field. Several recent studies have shown that arthroscopic repair yields functional results similar to those of mini-open and open procedures, with all of the benefits of minimally invasive surgery. However, the “best” repair construct remains relatively unknown, with wide variations in surgeon preference and conflicting evidence in the literature. The most recent developments in basic science, suture and suture anchor technology, and innovative prospects for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair are reviewed.     

Suture Passing Needle Breakage During Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: A Complication Report

Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair is a well established surgical technique. Passing sutures through the rotator cuff is a critical—and at times, time-consuming—portion of the procedure. Suture-passing devices have been developed that combine a nitinol needle for pushing sutures through the tissue with a tissue grasper. These devices eliminate multiple steps in the repair process and improve the efficiency of the operation. However, as with any innovation, there is the potential for complications. It is vital that these technical complications be appreciated so that they can be avoided in the future. We report a case in which the needle tip of a suture-passing device broke during arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. The breakage was not recognized until after the operation. The patient was observed for 2 years without migration of the foreign body. To our knowledge, this is the first reported complication associated with the use of this type of suturing device.     

Clinical and Radiological Evaluation after Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair Using Suture Bridge Technique

Background

We retrospectively assessed the clinical outcomes and investigated risk factors influencing retear after arthroscopic suture bridge repair technique for rotator cuff tear through clinical assessment and magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA).

Methods

Between January 2008 and April 2011, sixty-two cases of full-thickness rotator cuff tear were treated with arthroscopic suture bridge repair technique and follow-up MRA were performed. The mean age was 56.1 years, and mean follow-up period was 27.4 months. Clinical and functional outcomes were assessed using range of motion, Korean shoulder score, Constant score, and UCLA score. Radiological outcome was evaluated with preoperative and follow-up MRA. Potential predictive factors that influenced cuff retear, such as age, gender, geometric patterns of tear, size of cuff tear, acromioplasty, fatty degeneration, atrophy of cuff muscle, retraction of supraspinatus, involved muscles of cuff and osteolysis around the suture anchor were evaluated.

Results

Thirty cases (48.4%) revealed retear on MRA. In univariable analysis, retear was significantly more frequent in over 60 years age group (62.5%) than under 60 years age group (39.5%; p = 0.043), and also in medium to large-sized tear than small-sized tear (p = 0.003). There was significant difference in geometric pattern of tear (p = 0.015). In multivariable analysis, only age (p = 0.036) and size of tear (p = 0.030) revealed a significant difference. The mean active range of motion for forward flexion, abduction, external rotation at the side and internal rotation at the side were significantly improved at follow-up (p < 0.05). The mean Korean shoulder score, Constant score, and UCLA score increased significantly at follow-up (p < 0.01). The range of motion, Korean shoulder score, Constant score, and UCLA score did not differ significantly between the groups with retear and intact repairs (p > 0.05). The locations of retear were insertion site in 10 cases (33.3%) and musculotendinous junction in 20 cases (66.7%; p = 0.006).

Conclusions

Suture bridge repair technique for rotator cuff tear showed improved clinical results. Cuff integrity after repair did not affect clinical results. Age of over 60 years and size of cuff tear larger than 1 cm were factors influencing rotator cuff retear after arthroscopic suture bridge repair technique.