Comparison of the clinical and radiological outcomes of arthroscopic transosseous and transosseous-equivalent double-row rotator cuff repair techniques

Objective: This study compared the clinical and radiological results of the arthroscopic transosseous (ATO) and transosseous-equivalent (TOE) double-row rotator cuff repair techniques. Methods: Prospective data collected from patients treated with ATO (32 women and 7 men, mean age: 57.03 +/- 6.39 years) and TOE (36 women and 8 men; mean age: 57.86 +/- 7.81 years) techniques were retrospectively evaluated. The visual analog scale score, Constant score, and Oxford shoulder score were used to assess the clinical results. Anchor pullout on standard antcroposterior shoulder radiographs and rotator cuff re-tear on magnetic resonance images were examined at the final follow-up to evaluate the radiological results. Rotator cuff re-tears were graded as per the classification system described by Sugaya et al. Results: The mean follow-up duration was 33.3 +/- 11.8 months. No difference was observed in the demographic data of the two groups. Significant improvement was observed in the postoperative shoulder scores of the groups; however, no difference was observed between the groups. Re-tear was detected in 10 patients of the TOE group and 9 patients of the ATO group. Age, tear size, and retraction level could cause re-tear. Conclusion: In the treatment of rotator cuff tears, the ATO and TOE techniques may achieve considerable improvements in shoulder functions in the short term.