Small-incision open distal subpectoral vs. arthroscopic proximal biceps tenodesis for biceps long head tendon lesions with repair of rotator cuff tears

The curative effect of small-incision open distal subpectoral vs. arthroscopic proximal biceps tenodesis for lesions in the long head of the biceps tendon (LHBT) combined with rotator cuff repairs (RCR) has remained controversial. The aim of the present study was to compare the two surgical methods. A total of 71 patients who received surgical treatment for LHBT lesions accompanied by RC tears were analyzed. Following arthroscopic RCR and tendectomy of the affected LHBT, 35 patients underwent small-incision open distal subpectoral tenodesis through a small incision (the subpectoral group), while the remaining 36 patients received arthroscopic proximal tenodesis (the arthroscopic group). The surgery time and intra-operative blood loss were compared between the two groups. In addition, the clinical outcomes were evaluated using scoring systems for the functional assessment of the shoulder joint. The subpectoral group had a shorter surgery time and less intra-operative blood loss than the arthroscopic group (P<0.05). The functional scores of the two groups significantly improved as time passed (P<0.05). The subpectoral group was significantly superior to the arthroscopic group with regard to the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score at 2 weeks post-operatively and visual analog scale score at 2 weeks and 3 months post-operatively (P<0.05). Small-incision open distal subpectoral and arthroscopic proximal tenodesis were demonstrated to effectively improve the function of the shoulder joint and relieve pain caused by LHBT lesions accompanied by RCR. However, small-incision open distal subpectoral tenodesis had the additional advantage of shorter surgery time, less intra-operative bleeding and encouraging early results compared to arthroscopic proximal tenodesis. The study was registered as a clinical trial in the Chinese Trial Registry (no. ChiCTR1800015643).