The Steadman Philippon Research Institute (SPRI), Vail, Colo, recently completed a study about the best procedures for repairing massive rotator cuff tears, according to a news release issued by the company. Results were presented at the Orthopaedic Research Society’s annual meeting, held this year in San Francisco.
Led by Peter Millett, MD, MSc, director of shoulder surgery at SPRI, the study involved 20 participants who were placed into one of four groups. In three of the groups, each was treated using a single-row rotator cuff repair, a double-row repair, or an augmented double-row repair, which uses collagen bio-implants to help provide the healing tissue a secure scaffold to grow into. The fourth group consisted of examining the intact, or noninjured, condition.
Scientists tested each massive rotator cuff tear repair using biomechanical science technology that applies motion and pressure on each participant. This testing method was reportedly used to see which technique was strongest and had the greatest long-term success. The scientists then developed a testing protocol designed to simulate a typical rehabilitation regimen following massive rotator cuff tears.
“Because the biomechanical tests were performed in real time, we were able to visibly see how well each surgical technique performed during our testing procedure,” Coen Wijdicks, PhD, director of the biomechanics research department at SPRI, says. “What we found is that for massive rotator cuff tears where the double-row and the augmented double-row techniques were used, repairs endured significantly more cycles to failure and had higher maximum load ranges than the single-row repairs and were actually as strong as healthy intact rotator cuffs.”
Prior to the study, some orthopedic specialists reportedly expressed concern that augmentation of the repair with a collagen patch would negatively influence the overall repair quality. The scientists determined, however, that this method of augmentation did not have any adverse biomechanical effects on the strength of the repair.
“The study offers hope for patients who suffer from massive rotator cuff injuries and will allow orthopedic surgeons better insight and more precise surgical techniques to treat these injuries,” Millett says. “This new information from our research efforts will ultimately translate to better outcomes for the patient.”