Titas Daraška¹

¹Faculty of  Medicine, Lithuanian University of Health sciences

Abstract

Tears of the rotator cuff tendons remain a common source of pain and disability among the adult population. Surgical repair of the rotator cuff has been shown to be a cost-effective solution to a rotator cuff tears that cause considerable burden on the general population in terms of quality of life. Nevertheless, the optimal technique for arthroscopic repair of the rotator cuff remains controversial. An ideal surgical technique involved in the repair of the rotator cuff tear must have the potential to withstand physiological loads while simultaneously allowing healing to occur and preventing re-rupture in the future. In this literature review are compared single and double-row surgical techniques, their biomechanics, clinical outcomes, healing, re-rupture rates and cost.

Methods: The PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Library databases were searched for relevant studies published before 2015.

Conclusion: There is a lack of clear consensus within the Level I evidence which surgical technique is better. It is clear that those studies looking at tears separately appear to indicate superiority of the double-row technique. More high-quality Level I studies on specifically homogenous groups are needed to guide practice and to identify characteristics of specific rotator cuff tears that would best be suited for the added expense involved in a double-row repair

The type of repair technique used should be selected according to tear size and surgical experience. Double-row repairs should be ideally performed in those with larger tears or those patients undergoing accelerated rehabilitation.

Keywords: Shoulder, Arthroscopy, Rotator cuff.