Abstract: Objective　To compare the effect of double-row suture bridge " without knot" and "with knot" repair technology under the arthroscopy for the treatment of elderly rotator cuff injury.　Methods　Sixty-nine elderly patients with rotator cuff injury admitted to Huizhou people’s Hospital from January 2016 to February 2019 were prospectively collected and 35 cases were randomly asigned into a control groups (articular endoscope double-row suture bridge "with knot" repair technique ) and 34 cases were into an observation group (arthroscope double-row suture bridge "without knot" repair technique). The joint function and the retear rate with different degree of injury were compared between the two groups 3 months and 6 months after operation.　Results　There were no significant differences in the baseline characteristic, UCLA, ASES, and Constant-Murley scores between the observation group and the control group before treatment (P> 0.05). However, at 6 months after operation, the UCLA, ASES, and Constant-Murley scores of the two groups were better than those before operation (P<0.001). There was no significant differences in the UCLA、ASES、Constant-Murley scores between the observation group and control group after operation from all the patients in the whole group and light-moderate tears degree subgroups. Among the subgroups with heavy-large tears, the UCLA, ASES, and Constant-Murley scores of the observation group were significantly better than those of the control group (P<0.05). There was no significant differences in the antexion of the shoulder joint and the degree of external rotation of the two groups after operation (P＞0.05). The incidence of re-tearing in the control group was higher than that in the observation group (17.1% vs. 2.9%, P = 0.051). Conclusions Both double-row suture bridge "with knot" and "without knot" repairs are effective and feasible in elderly patients with rotator cuff injury. For patients with heavy-large tears degree, the "without-knot" technique may be more advantageous.

Key words: The elderly;　Rotator cuff injury;　Suture bridge technique;　Shoulder joint, arthroscope