The modified massive cuff stitch: functional and structural outcome in massive cuff tears

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Masafumi Gotoh et al study the use of a modified stitch technique to treat massive cuff tears

Abstract

Background

The massive cuff stitch (MCS) is known to be a strong suture, suitable for rotator cuff repair. We modified this technique for massive cuff tears by employing a horizontal medial mattress suture from an anchor as well as a vertically crossing transosseous suture.

Methods

We included 42 patients with massive cuff tears suitable for repair: 22 were treated with the modified MCS (MCS group), and 20 with a simple transosseous suture (STS group). The range of motion (ROM), muscle strength, visual analogue scale, and the Japanese Orthopaedic Association (JOA) scores were evaluated pre-operatively and 12 and 24 months post-operatively. The incidence of post-operative re-tears was examined at least one year post-operatively using Sugaya’s classification.

Results

The ROM, muscle strength, degree of pain, and the JOA scores were much improved after surgery in both groups, and there was no significant intergroup difference throughout the pre- and postoperative periods. In contrast, post-operative MRI revealed a significantly lower re-tear rate in the MCS group than in the STS group (9.1% vs. 40%, P = 0.0296).

Conclusions

The techniques tested were comparable in terms of functional outcome after surgical repair of massive cuff tears; however, the modified MCS repair technique produced superior structural outcomes with a significantly lower re-tear rate.

Keywords

Massive cuff tear; Massive cuff stitch; Transosseous suture; Magnetic resonance imaging; Post-operative re-tear…

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Jordan Yates
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Author

Masafumi Gotoh1*, Yasuhiro Mitsui,¹ Kazuhiro Yoshimitsu,² Kenjiro Nakama,² Takahiro Okawa,¹ Fujio Higuchi¹ and Kensei Nagata.²

* Corresponding author: Masafumi Gotoh gomasa@med.kurume-u.ac.jp

¹ Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kurume University Medical Center Kurume, 155-1 Kokubu-machi, Kurume, Fukuoka 839-0863, Japan

² Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kurume University, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Fukuoka 830-0011, Japan

Journal of Orthopaedic Surgery and Research 2013, 8:26 | doi:10.1186/1749-799X-8-26

www.josr-online.com/content/8/1/26
© 2013 Gotoh et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd.

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