The Effect of Concomitant Biceps Tenodesis on Revision Surgery Rates After Primary Rotator Cuff Repair.

Introduction: We aimed to use a national database to compare the 4-year revision surgery rates after rotator cuff repair (RCR) in patients with concomitant biceps tenodesis (BT) versus those without BT.

Methods: A retrospective cohort analysis was conducted using the PearlDiver database from 2015 to 2017. Patients undergoing primary open and arthroscopic RCR with and without BT were identified. Demographic variables, 90-day complications, and 2- and 4-year revision surgery rates were analyzed, and a multivariable logistic regression was conducted.

Results: Of the 131,155 patients undergoing RCR, 24,487 (18.7%) underwent concomitant BT and 106,668 (81.3%) did not. After controlling for comorbidities and demographics, patients with concomitant BT were associated with lower odds of all-cause revision (OR; P-value [0.77; P < 0.001]), revision BT (0.65; P < 0.001), revision RCR (0.72; P < 0.001), and shoulder arthroplasty (0.81; P = 0.001) within 4 years when compared with those without concomitant BT.

Discussion: In our analysis, patients undergoing primary RCR with concomitant BT had 35% reduced odds of revision BT and 23% reduced odds of any all-cause revision within 4 years when compared with those without concomitant BT. This suggests that tenodesis at the time of primary RCR may be associated with a reduction in the utilization of ipsilateral shoulder revision surgery rates.