Strength of Single- Versus Double-Anchor Repair of Type II SLAP Lesions: A Cadaveric Study
Received 5 September 2008; accepted 22 May 2009.
Purpose
This study was designed to examine whether there was a difference in pullout strength along with the mode of failure between 1 suture anchor and 2 suture anchors.
Methods
Ten matched pairs of cadaveric shoulders were used in the study. A type II SLAP lesion, according to the classification of Snyder et al., was created. In 10 shoulders 1 anchor with 2 sutures was used to repair the lesion. In the other group of 10 matched shoulders, fixation was done with 2 anchors, with each anchor having only 1 suture. An Instron servohydraulic test machine (Instron, Canton, MA) was used to pull the long head of the biceps tendon until failure occurred.
Results
The single-anchor group failed at a mean load of 278.5 ± 101.5 N. The double-anchor group failed at 242.5 ± 96.5 N. A paired 2-sample Student t test showed that there was no significant difference in pullout strength between the 2 groups (P = .090). The most common mode of failure was soft-tissue failure. There was 1 anchor pullout in the single-anchor group and 2 anchor pullouts in the double-anchor group.
Conclusions
The results of this study imply that using 1 anchor with 2 sutures is biomechanically equivalent to 2 anchors with 1 suture each for repairing type II SLAP lesions.
Clinical Relevance
Using 1 suture anchor is sufficient to repair a type II SLAP lesion.
aDepartment of Orthopaedics, University of Colorado–Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
bDivision of Engineering, Colorado School of Mines, Golden, Colorado, U.S.A.
Address correspondence and reprint requests to Todd Baldini, M.S., Department of Orthopaedics, University of Colorado–Denver, PO Box 6508, MS F432 Aurora, CO 80045-0508, U.S.A.
Supported by Stryker Endoscopy, San Jose, California.
ABSTRACT