An Arthroscopic Knotless Technique for Anatomical Restoration of the Rotator Cuff and Superior Capsule: The Double-Layer Cinch Bridge

Rotator cuff repairs are the most common procedures in shoulder surgery, but still show long-term retear rates of up to 70%. Nonanatomic reconstruction is one possible cause of repair failure. The rotator cuff histologically consists of 5 separate layers of which 2 are macroscopically identifiable: the superior or tendinous layer and the inferior or capsule-ligamentous layer. In case of rotator cuff tears, these layers are often retracted to different degrees. The intraoperative detectable prevalence of rotator cuff delamination reaches up to 85%. Anatomical rotator cuff repair, which also includes restoration of the layered structure, could re-establish native tendon morphology and thus potentially decreases retear rates. The use of a knotless construct to avoid cuff strangulation and maintaining tendon perfusion could further decrease the risk of repair failure. Double-layer reconstructions are challenging and time consuming because each layer needs to be penetrated separately. Only few studies reported about double-layer reconstruction of the posterosuperior rotator cuff. This Technical Note is the first to present an arthroscopic knotless transosseous-equivalent double-layer repair technique.