High-Tension Double-Row Footprint Repair Compared with Reduced-Tension Single-Row Repair for Massive Rotator Cuff Tears
A massive, retracted tear of the rotator cuff poses a unique challenge to the orthopaedic surgeon. All attempts must be made to mobilize the tendons such that they can be repaired to their anatomic insertion sites on the greater tuberosity in a tension-free manner. However, many retracted tears cannot be fully mobilized. In this situation, there is substantial controversy over the most successful repair technique.
The advent of double-row repairs has been a substantial advance in rotator cuff repair. The double-row technique has been shown to be biomechanically superior to single-row and transosseous suture techniques. However, the studies comparing these repair constructs have subjected all specimens to same loads, failing to account for differences in tension between the repair construcrts.