Abstract
Over one year a bio-absorbable corkscrew was used in 19 rotator cuff repairs in 17 patients (10 men and seven women) with a mean age of 52 years (25 to 68). Seven were partial thickness tears. The 12 full thickness tears involved only the supraspinatus in all but four patients. Open surgery was performed on these four patients, who had an isolated subscapularis tear, an isolated teres minor tear, a combined supraspinatus and infraspinatus tear and a combined supraspinatus, infraspinatus and subscapularis tear. The remaining patients underwent arthroscopic repair. All patients had an acromioplasty and 13 had the acromioclavicular joint excised. Two patients had a concomitant SLAP repair. One corkscrew was used in 10 cases, two in six and three in two.
The mean follow-up was 8 months (3 to 24). The mean Constant score at follow-up was 80. There were five complications (26%) in which the corkscrew or a fragment of it came loose in the subacromial space. Two patients required further surgery to remove the corkscrew.
The corkscrew was found to be a useful device for rotator cuff repairs, but the complication rate was high.
The abstracts were prepared by Professor M. B. E. Sweet. Correspondence should be addressed to him at PO Box 47363, Parklands, Johannesburg 2121, South Africa.
