Data published online in The American Journal of Sports Medicine suggest that postoperative pain may decrease more quickly after transosseous hardware-free suture repair compared to single-row anchor fixation for rotator cuff repair. 

The authors conducted a randomized, controlled trial of 69 patients with rotator cuff tear, 35 of whom were treated with metal anchors and 34 of whom were treated with standardized transosseous repair. They found no significant difference between the two arthroscopic repair techniques in terms of functional and radiological results. However, patients in the transosseous cohort had significantly less pain, especially from postoperative day 15. Learn more...