Transosseous repair with a cortical implant for greater tubercle cyst-related rotator cuff tear results in good clinical outcomes, but significant implant migration

Purpose To evaluate whether an arthroscopic transosseous technique (ATO) with cortical implants is effective for rotator cuff tear (RCT) repair in patients with cysts of the greater tuberosity (GTC). Methods Patients treated with the ATO technique between January 2013 and October 2017 were evaluated. Inclusion criteria were patients treated for both cyst-related and non-cyst-related RCTs and patients with a moderate-sized tear (1–3 cm) according to the DeOrio and Cofield classification. A total of 39 patients were separated into two groups: Group 1 ( n = 16) patients with cyst-associated RCT, and Group 2 ( n = 23) patients with no cyst. Implant pull-out and migration were evaluated radiologically on standard antero-posterior shoulder radiographs and rotator cuff re-tear was assessed on magnetic resonance images at the final follow-up examination. Group 1 patients were separated into two subgroups according to cyst size (cyst