Biomechanical performance of Bankart repairs in a human cadaveric shouldermodel

The objective of this study was to develop a method to evaluate the biomech anical performance of Bankart repairs in a human cadaveric shoulder in a cl inically relevant orientation. Twenty fresh-frozen human cadaveric shoulder girdles were used to compare the biomechanical performance of intact anter oinferior capsulolabral complexes with the biomechanical performance of thr ee Bankart lesion reconstruction techniques. Repairs were performed on surg ically created Bankart lesions. Evaluations were performed with the shoulde rs in glenohumeral abduction and external rotation. The repair techniques e mployed interosseous sutures, Mitek GII suture anchors, or Acufex T-Fix dev ices. The suture material used in all repairs was No. 2 Ti-Cron. The biomec hanical performance of the three reconstruction techniques did not differ, but each was significantly inferior compared with that of the intact should er samples. The interosseous repairs failed by suture pullout through soft tissue. Repairs in the Mitek GII group failed by pullout of the suture anch ors, suture breakage, or pullout of the suture through soft tissue. Repairs in the T-Fix group failed by pullout of the suture through soft tissue or failure of the polymer portion of the T-Fix suture.