BACKGROUND Degenerative rotator cuff tears are a significant cause of shoulder pain in the aging population. Rotator cuff repair surgery may be more successful when growth factors are delivered to the repair site. This study was designed to determine the cellular processes involved in normal bone-to-tendon healing and the current approaches used for biologic augmentation of rotator cuff repair....

Double-contrast shoulder arthrograms were performed in 20 patients at an average of 30 months after operative repair of a torn rotator cuff. In 18 out of 20 shoulders the contrast medium leaked into the subacromial bursa indicating a defect in the rotator cuff. Despite this, 17 patients had complete relief of pain and 15 had a full range of shoulder elevation. The results suggest that a complet...

Purpose. To compare the biomechanical properties of 3 suture-bridge techniques for rotator cuff repair. Methods. Twelve pair-matched fresh-frozen shoulder specimens were randomized to 3 groups of different repair types: the medially Knotted Suture Bridge (KSB), the medially Untied Suture Bridge (USB), and the Modified Suture Bridge (MSB). Cyclic loading and load-to-failure test were performed. ...

Background/objective Rotator cuff tears are common shoulder injuries. Various forms of rotator cuff tears are observed by arthroscopy. Inverted flap tears of the rotator cuff, however, also occur. The aim of the present study was to determine the preoperative characteristics of inverted torn cuffs and clinical outcomes after arthroscopic repair. Methods Seventeen patients (10 men, 7 women; me...

HYPOTHESIS Recent studies have demonstrated a potentially critical role of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and tissue inhibitors of matrix metalloproteinases (TIMPs) in the pathophysiology of rotator cuff tears. We hypothesize that local delivery of a MMP inhibitor after surgical repair of the rotator cuff will improve healing at the tendon-to-bone surface interface. MATERIALS AND METHODS Si...

Rotator cuff tears are a ubiquitous cause of shoulder pain and disability. Full thickness rotator cuff tears are present in 19-21% of the general population, and their prevalence increases with age. The incidence of this problem is exacerbated by the ever advancing age of our patient population. Thankfully, with advances in arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, this has become a treatable problem w...

BACKGROUND After reinsertion on the humerus, the rotator cuff has limited ability to heal. Growth factor augmentation has been proposed to enhance healing in such procedure. PURPOSE This study was conducted to assess the efficacy and safety of growth factor augmentation during rotator cuff repair. STUDY DESIGN Randomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 1. METHODS Eighty-eight patient...

BACKGROUND Rotator cuff tendons heal to bone with interposed scar tissue, which makes repairs prone to failure. The purpose of this study was to determine if the application of bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) can improve rotator cuff healing after repair. HYPOTHESIS Application of MSCs to the repair site will result in superior results compared with controls on histologic an...

Transosseous repair of the rotator cuff has been shown to recreate the anatomic rotator cuff footprint in a secure and cost-efficient manner. However, the potential for sutures cutting through bone remains a concern with this strategy. Devices have been used successfully during open transosseous rotator cuff repair to augment the bone tunnels, potentially avoiding suture cut-out through the wea...

Although uncommon, rotator cuff tears that occur medially at the musculotendinous junction can result from acute trauma, anatomic force imbalance, or medial row cuff failure following a previous rotator cuff repair. The quality of the torn muscle and tendon along with the length of the remnant tendon stump should be considered before deciding on the most appropriate repair technique. When muscl...