Arthroscopic supraspinatus tendon repair using suture anchors and a modified Mason-Allen technique: an intra-articular approach.

Abstract

Abstract Arthroscopic repair of supraspinatus tendon tears has had clinical results comparable to those of open procedures. The arthroscopic subacromial approach is well described in the literature but is still limited to skilled arthroscopic surgeons owing to the technical difficulties of the method. We present an intra-articular approach for supraspinatus tendon repair using suture anchors and a modified Mason-Allen technique. A major advantage of this technique is an excellent visualization of the procedure that optimizes the preparation of the lesion, positioning of the suture anchors, and, especially, grasping of the tendon with suture devices. The easy and exact positioning of the sutures allows creation of a modified arthroscopic Mason-Allen stitch. The result is a very stable initial tendon-to-bone fixation, which is necessary for a sufficient osteofibroblastic integration.