Transosseous-Equivalent/Suture Bridge Technique in Combination With Platelet-Rich Plasma Application Yield Optimal Clinical Outcomes in Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: A Bayesian Network Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials

Purpose: To assess the clinical evidence defining the optimal combination of arthroscopic suture technique and platelet-rich products (PRP), and application for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR).

Methods: All level of evidence (LOE) I randomized controlled trials (RCT) focusing on arthroscopic suture technique and/or PRP application in ARCR were included. The exclusion criteria were LOE II or worse, studies with other interventions, studies reported none of the predetermined clinical outcomes; studies unable to extract any precise data; studies from the same patient group of included studies. A pair-wise meta-analysis and Bayesian network analysis were performed on each comparison. The intervention options were ranked by Bayesian network analysis.

Results: 27 studies comprising 1,947 individuals met the inclusion criteria. The application of transosseous equivalent/suture bridge repair (SB) with PRP (SB+PRP) significantly reduced retear rate (risk ratio [RR], 0.29; 95% confidence interval [CI], [0.15, 0.55].) and increased Constant-Murley score (mean difference, 1.90; 95% CI, [0.14, 3.74]), compared to SB repair. Single-row repair (SR) with PRP usage (SR+PRP) significantly reduced retear rate (RR, 0.27; 95% CI, [0.12, 0.55]) and pain visual analog scale (VAS) (mean difference: -0.84; 95% CI [-1.39, -0.46].), increased University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder score (mean difference: 1.48; 95% CI [0.50, 2.58]) and Constant-Murley score (mean difference: 4.53; 95% CI [2.65, 6.38]), compared to SR repair. The ranking for outcomes demonstrated SB+PRP resulted in the best retear rate, UCLA shoulder score, with the second-best postoperative pain, Constant-Murley score, while SR+PRP resulted in the best postoperative pain, Constant-Murley score, with the second-best retear rate and UCLA score.

Conclusion: Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair utilizing SB+PRP yields optimal retear rate and UCLA shoulder score, with the second-best postoperative pain and Constant-Murley shoulder outcome score, while SR+PRP yields the best in these two parameters.

Level Of Evidence: Level I, Bayesian network analysis of level I RCT.