Treatment Outcomes of Single- Versus Double-Row Repair for Larger Than Medium-Sized Rotator Cuff Tears: Response

Background:In rotator cuff repair, no practical guidelines exist for deciding which technique is the most beneficial to outcomes.Purpose:To determine which of 2 repair techniques, the single-row (SR) and double-row suture bridge (DR-SB) methods, leads to better therapeutic outcomes in terms of remnant tendon length in patients with larger than medium-sized cuff tears.Study Design:Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:Remnant tendon length, muscle atrophy, and fatty degeneration were measured on preoperative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 78 patients with larger than medium-sized rotator cuff tears who were available for follow-up MRI. There were 30 patients with remnant tendons <10 mm in length (group 1) and 48 with remnant tendons ≥10 mm in length (group 2). In group 1, the SR technique was performed on 17 patients and the DR-SB technique on 13 patients. In group 2, the SR technique was performed on 16 patients and the DR-SB technique on 32 patients. The mean follow-up period for all patients w...