Single- and Double-Loaded All-Suture Anchor Repairs of Anteroinferior Labral Tears Are Biomechanically Similar in a Cadaveric Shoulder Model

PURPOSE: To compare the biomechanical strength of single- versus double-loaded all-suture constructs in an anteroinferior glenoid labral repair. METHODS: Anteroinferior labral lesions were created on 6 matched pairs of cadaveric shoulder specimens. Each shoulder in a matched pair was randomized to either receive capsulolabral repair with 3 single-loaded all-suture anchors or 3 double-loaded all-suture anchors. Immediately following capsulolabral repair, the specimens underwent mechanical testing, which included cyclic testing (5 N to 50 N for 500 cycles) and load-to-failure testing (rate of 15 mm/min). The gap formation between the repaired labrum and glenoid (measured at 1, 25, 100, and 500 cycles), the load at 2-mm gap formation, the maximum load at failure and the method of failure were recorded. Data were analyzed with paired Student t tests and Bonferroni correction factor. RESULTS: The single and double all-suture constructs did not differ significantly in gap formation at any number of cycles, load to 2-mm gap formation (P = .75), or maximum load to failure (P = .46) between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, single-loaded and double-loaded all-suture anchor constructs demonstrated comparable biomechanical performance and did not significantly differ in gap formation, load to 2-mm gap formation, or maximum load to failure when used in the capsulolabral repair of anteroinferior glenoid labral tears in human cadaveric specimens. CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Although studies have evaluated the biomechanical properties of various arthroscopic labral stabilization techniques, the biomechanical properties of all-suture anchors with regard to labral stabilization are not well understood.