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Level 1 study shows comparable re-tear rates between single- and double-row rotator cuff repair
Koh KH. Arthroscopy. 2011; March 25. [Epub ahead of print]. doi:10.1016/j.arthro.2010.11.059.
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This prospective randomized trial found no significant differences regarding full- and partial-thickness re-tear rates, and clinical outcomes between patients who underwent single- or double-row suture anchor repair for medium to large rotator cuff tears.
Kyoung Hwan Koh, MD, and colleagues studied 71 patients with 2 to 4 cm arthroscopically-verified rotator cuff tears who underwent either single-row repair using two lateral suture anchors or double-row repair with an additional medial suture anchor. Thirty-one patients in each group were available for final follow-up, and 47 of these had follow-up MRIs.
Although the investigators found the clinical scores for both groups significantly improved from preoperative values, they discovered no significant differences between the groups regarding Constant, UCLA, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons and visual analog scale pain scores at final follow-up. A comparison of the groups also revealed more full-thickness re-tears in the double-row cohort (six vs. four), and more partial re-tears in the single-row group (11 vs. one). “However, despite numerical differences, these differences were not statistically different,” the authors wrote.