Needle Based, Arthroscopic, Transosseous Rotator Cuff Repair - Short Term Clinical Resaults

Introduction: The traditional open transosseous rotator cuff repair (RCR) has represented the gold standard for rotator cuff surgery with excellent long-term results. As surgeons became more facile with arthroscopic techniques, the evolution of RCR has resulted in a majority of all-arthroscopic repairs performed with the use of suture anchors. Recently, new devices that allow arthroscopic transosseous suture passage have been developed. The purpose of this study was to examine the capabilities of a needle based arthroscopic transosseous tunneling (Omnicuff) and evaluates the short-term clinical outcomes and patient satisfaction of patients who were treated with this technique.

Materials and Methods: This study was a prospective, single-arm, multi-center study performed from January 2014 to March 2015. During the study period, thirty-two patients underwent transosseous RCR using the Omnicuff Device. The primary outcome measures were the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon (ASES) score, Simple Shoulder Test (SST) score Likert satisfaction scale.

Results: Thirty-two patients were included in this trial study. The average age was 58.2 years (Range, 44 to 80). The sizes of the tears were as follows: 7 small, 18 medium, 4 large, and 3 massive. The average number of tunnels used per repair was 1.9 (Range 1-3). 28 patients were available for final follow up at an average of 24.7 months from surgery. The mean ASES improved from 45.1 to 88.4. The mean SST from 42.6 to 92.5 and the average Likert scale to 4.6.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the needle based, arthroscopic, transosseous rotator cuff repair had a promising short term clinical results.