[Comparison of clinical efficacy of simple double-row suture bridge technique and double-row suture bridge technique combined with type Ⅱ "Chinese way" in the treatment of huge rotator cuff injury].

Objective: To compare the postoperative efficacy of simple double-row suture bridge technique and double-row suture bridge technique combined with type Ⅱ "Chinese way" in treating huge massive rotator cuff injury. Methods: The clinical data of 74 patients with unilateral massive rotator cuff injury admitted to Department of Orthopedic, Beijing Chaoyang Hospital, Capital Medical University, from January 2019 to September 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 39 males and 35 females, aged (60.2±7.8) years (range: 42 to 77 years). During operation, 44 patients were treated with single double-row suture bridge technique (the simple group), and 30 patients were treated with double-row suture bridge technique combined with type Ⅱ "Chinese way" treatment (the combined group). In the simple group, only internal and external row anchors were used to fix the fractured rotator cuff, while in the combined group, the biceps long head tendon was first transposed to the footprint area and fixed with an internal row anchor tail thread, and then the remaining rotator cuff fracture was repaired with double-row suture bridge technique. The operation conditions were recorded. The range of motion of shoulder joint, visual analogue scale (VAS), American Society for Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) score, Constant-Murley shoulder joint score before operation, 6 months after operation and at the last follow-up were compared between the two groups. Postoperative complications and imaging results were recorded. The difference values of each observation index before and after operation were calculated. The repeated measures analysis of variance was used for repeated measurement data, and LSD multiple comparison method was used for the data at different time points in the two groups. Results: All the patients successfully completed the operation, and no serious complications occurred during or after operation. The patients were followed up for (14.6±5.4) months (range: 6 to 24 months). In all patients, the shoulder range of motion, VAS, ASES score, UCLA score and Constant-Murley shoulder score at 6 months after operation and at the last follow-up were significantly improved compared with those before operation (all P<0.01), and the results at the last follow-up were also better than those at 6 months after operation (all P<0.01). The results of the combined group at 6 months after operation and at the last follow-up (all P<0.01) were better than those of the single group. At 6 months after operation and at the last follow-up, the anteroposternal X-ray showed no significant progress in the degeneration of shoulder joint. Of the 27 patients who completed MRI during follow-up, 14 patients re-injured of reconstructed rotator cuff tissue (type Ⅳ and type Ⅴ) was found in 14 cases, the incidence was 22.7% (10/44) in the simple group and 13.3%(4/30) in the combined group. There was no significant difference between the two groups(χ2=1.026, P=0.311). Conclusion: Compared with the simple double-row suture bridge technique, the method of double-row suture bridge technique combined with type Ⅱ "Chinese way" for repairing massive rotator cuff injury has better effect on improving the short-term pain symptoms, joint range of motion, restoring joint function, and has lower incidence of complications.