Abstract
Background
Acetabular labral tears can cause pain and microinstability and are the most common indication for hip arthroscopy. Hip labral repair demonstrates better clinical outcome scores at a mean of 3.5 years post surgery than labral excision and tends to be performed in a younger age group. While different labral stitch configurations are possible, the most frequently used are a mattress stitch passed though the hip labrum at its widest part, or a simple loop surrounding the labrum. To determine the strength of variousrepair techniques and the impact suture passer sizesonhip labrum failure after cyclic loading.
Methods
35 unattached fresh-frozen bovine hip labrums were assigned to 5 repair techniques (7 specimens each): Group 1: horizontal mattress using a penetrating grasper; Group 2: vertical mattress using a penetrating grasper; Group 3: vertical mattress using asuture lasso; Group 4: Oblique repair using a penetrating grasper; Group 5: vertical mattress using a penetrating grasper and monopolar radio frequency device. Using a materials testing machine and after a 10N preload, each contruct was subjected to 20 cycles at 5N–80N. Cyclic elongation, peak-to-peak displacement, ultimate failure load, stiffness, and failure mode were recorded.
Results
Group 1 (249N) had lower ultimate load than groups 2 (277N), 3 (289N), 4 (281N), and 5 (278N) (p<0.05) and higher peak to peak displacement, cyclic elongation (14mm) than group 3 (12mm) (p<0.05). Group 2 (15mm) had higher peak to peak displacement than group 3 (p<0.05). Group 3 had lower cyclic elongation and peak to peak displacements than group 4 (p<0.05).
Conclusion
A horizontal mattress hip labrum repair demonstrates lower ultimate failure load than a vertical mattress or an oblique suture repair. A smaller diameter suture passing device demonstrated less cyclic displacement but no difference in ultimate failure load than a large diameter device. Radiofrequency treatment did not have any effect on the strength of the suture repair configuration.
Level of evidence
Level 5
