In vivo blood flow after rotator cuff reconstruction in a sheep model: comparison of single versus double row.

Purpose: Arthroscopic double-row (DR) suture anchor repair of rotator cuff tears has been shown to be superior to most single-row (SR) techniques with regard to footprint reconstruction, load to failure and tendon-to-bone contact pressures. The hypothesis of this study was that the greater contact pressures of DR techniques would compromise blood flow to a higher degree than SR repair. The aim of this experimental study was to evaluate the effect of a DR and a SR technique on tendon blood flow in a sheep model.