Vol. 5, Issue 1, Part A (2023)

Introduction: Rotator cuff tears are a common cause of shoulder pain and dysfunction, particularly in cases of massive tears. Surgical intervention, such as arthroscopic repair, has become the standard of care. This study aims to compare the efficacy of single-row and double-row arthroscopic rotator cuff repair techniques in the context of massive tears.
Methodology: This study compared the clinical and functional outcomes of single-row and double-row arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in patients with massive tears. A total of 60 patients were randomly assigned to either the single-row (n=30) or double-row (n=30) group. The follow-up period was 1 year. The primary outcome measure was the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score. Secondary outcome measures included the Constant-Murley score, the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) score, the range of motion (ROM), and the strength of external rotation.
Results: There was no significant difference in the ASES score between the two groups at 1 year (72.5±10.4 vs. 74.8±9.7, p=0.52). However, the double-row group had significantly better ROM and strength of external rotation than the single-row group (p<0.05). The rate of tendon re-tear was 6% in the single-row group and 0% in the double-row group (p=0.04).
Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that double-row arthroscopic rotator cuff repair is superior to single-row repair in terms of ROM and strength of external rotation in patients with massive tears. However, further studies with longer follow-up periods are needed to confirm these findings.