title: Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair With Absorbable Sutures in the Medial-Row Anchors.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To report the retear rate and retear pattern after double-row arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (DR-ARCR) with the use of absorbable sutures as medial anchor sutures and to address the advantage of the use of absorbable sutures in medial-row anchors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty-seven shoulders (22 male and 35 female patients; mean age, 66.1 years) with complete rotator cuff tears treated with DR-ARCR using absorbable mattress sutures as medial-row anchor sutures were included in the study. They included 35 medium, 17 large, and 5 massive tears. For the medial row, medial anchor sutures were replaced with absorbable mattress sutures. High-strength simple sutures were used for the lateral anchors. We evaluated retear patterns by magnetic resonance imaging examinations performed at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, and 1 year postoperatively. The clinical conditions of all patients preoperatively and 2 years postoperatively were assessed by the University of California, Los Angeles rating scale and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons shoulder index.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A complete retear of the tendon at the footprint was observed in 5 shoulders. Complete discontinuity at the middle of the tendon around the medial-row anchors with a footprint remnant was observed in 1 shoulder. A thinned repaired rotator cuff was observed in 2 shoulders because of a partial retear of the deep layer. The overall retear rate was 14%. From before to after surgery, the University of California, Los Angeles score significantly improved from 18.4 to 32.9 (P < .0001) and the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons index improved from 55.1 to 87.7 (P < .0001). No complications were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The retear rates after DR-ARCR with absorbable sutures as medial-row anchors were 8.8% for complete retears of the tendon at the footprint and 1.7% for complete discontinuity of tendon around the medial-row anchors. This procedure provided a low retear rate around the medial-row anchors.
  
  
  METHODS
  Level IV, therapeutic case series.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Osaka Police Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Osaka Police Hospital, Osaka, Japan. Electronic address: hkenji@leto.eonet.ne.jp.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hayashida
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Suita Municipal Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Atsushi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Osaka Police Hospital, Osaka, Japan.
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kakiuchi
mesh_terms: D020341:Absorbable Implants; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001182:Arthroscopy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012008:Recurrence; D017006:Rotator Cuff / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D000070636:Rotator Cuff Injuries; D053441:Suture Anchors; D013537:Sutures