Mechanical strength of repairs of the hip piriformis tendon

Mechanical properties of repairs of the piriformis tendon to the proximal femur were examined in a cadaveric model. Four constructs were separately tested: a suture anchor in the proximal femur, the anchor to suture interface, the suture in tendon interface, and a bone bridge style repair. The weakest interface was the anchor in the bone in cases in which the bone quality was poor. In specimens with high bone quality, the weakest interface was the suture in the anchor. A positive correlation was seen between Singh score for each femur and failure load of the anchor-bone constructs. Therefore, repairing the short external rotators after procedures involving a posterior approach to the hip may be warranted in patients with good bone quality.