Objectives. All-suture anchors are increasingly used in rotator cuff repair procedures. Potential benefits include decreased bone damage. However, there is limited published evidence for the relative strength of fixation for all-suture anchors compared with traditional anchors. Materials and Methods. A total of four commercially available all-suture anchors, the ‘Y-Knot’ (ConMed), Q-FIX (Smith & Nephew), ICONIX (Stryker) and JuggerKnot (Zimmer Biomet) and a traditional anchor control TWINFIX Ultra PK Suture Anchor (Smith & Nephew) were tested in cadaveric human humeral head rotator cuff repair models (n = 24). This construct underwent cyclic loading applied by a mechanical testing rig (Zwick/Roell). Ultimate load to failure, gap formation at 50, 100, 150 and 200 cycles, and failure mechanism were recorded. Significance was set at p < 0.05. Results. Overall, mean maximum tensile strength values were significantly higher for the traditional anchor (181.0 N, standard error (. se). 17.6) compared with the all-suture anchors (mean 133.1 N . se. 16.7) (p = 0.04). The JuggerKnot anchor had greatest displacement at 50, 100 and 150 cycles, and at failure, reaching statistical significance over the control at 100 and 150 cycles (22.6 mm . se. 2.5 versus 12.5 mm . se. 0.3; and 29.6 mm . se. 4.8 versus 17.0 mm . se. 0.7). Every all-suture anchor tested showed substantial (> 5 mm) displacement between 50 and 100 cycles (6.2 to 14.3). All-suture anchors predominantly failed due to anchor pull-out (95% versus 25% of traditional anchors), whereas a higher proportion of traditional anchors failed secondary to suture breakage. Conclusion. We demonstrate decreased failure load, increased total displacement, and variable failure mechanisms in all-suture anchors, compared with traditional anchors designed for rotator cuff repair. These findings will aid the surgeon’s choice of implant, in the context of the clinical scenario. Cite this article: N. S. Nagra, N. Zargar, R. D. J. Smith, A. J. Carr. Mechanical properties of all-suture anchors for rotator cuff repair. Bone Joint Res 2017;6:82–89. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.62.BJR-2016-0225.R1

Re-rupture rates after rotator cuff repair remain high because of inadequate biological healing at the tendon-bone interface. Single-growth factor therapies to augment healing at the enthesis have so far yielded inconsistent results. An emerging approach is to combine multiple growth factors over a spatiotemporal distribution that mimics normal healing. We propose a novel combination treatment of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1) and parathyroid hormone (PTH) incorporated into a controlled-release tyraminated poly-vinyl-alcohol hydrogel to improve healing after rotator cuff repair. We aimed to evaluate this growth factor treatment in a rat chronic rotator cuff tear model. A total of 30 male Sprague-Dawley rats underwent unilateral supraspinatus tenotomy. Delayed rotator cuff repairs were then performed after 3 weeks, to allow tendon degeneration that resembles the human clinical scenario. Animals were randomly assigned to: [1] a control group with repair alone; or [2] a treatment group in which the hydrogel was applied at the repair site. All animals were euthanized 12 weeks after rotator cuff surgery and the explanted shoulders were analyzed for biomechanical strength and histological quality of healing at the repair site. In the treatment group had significantly higher stress at failure (73% improvement, P=0.003) and Young's modulus (56% improvement, P=0.028) compared to the control group. Histological assessment revealed improved healing with significantly higher overall histological scores (10.1 of 15 vs 6.55 of 15, P=0.032), and lower inflammation and vascularity. This novel combination growth factor treatment improved the quality of healing and strength of the repaired enthesis in a chronic rotator cuff tear model. Further optimization and tailoring of the growth factors hydrogel is required prior to consideration for clinical use in the treatment of rotator cuff tears. This novel treatment approach holds promise for improving biological healing of this clinically challenging problem

Rotator cuff repair has excellent clinical outcomes but continues to be a challenge when it comes to large and massive tears as well as revision procedures. Reported symptomatic retear rates are still too high to be acceptable. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a combination of augmentation techniques consisting of microfractures of the greater tuberosity, extracellular matrix (ECM) patch graft and subsequent platelet concentrate (PC) subacromial injections in revision rotator cuff repair. The study was designed as a retrospective comparative study on prospectively collected data from a consecutive cohort of patients. All patients who underwent arthroscopic revision rotator cuff repair for symptomatic failure of previous posterosuperior rotator cuff repair were considered eligible for the study. Symptomatic failure had been diagnosed according to clinical examination and confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Structural integrity had been assessed on MRI and classified according to Sugaya classification. Only patients affected by stage IV-V were considered eligible. Tear reparability was confirmed during arthroscopy. Only patients with a minimum 2 years follow-up were included. Patients were divided in two groups. In group 1 (control group) a standard arthroscopic revision and microfractures of the greater tuberosity were performed; in group 2 (experimental group), microfractures of the greater tuberosity and a ECM patch graft were used to enhance tendon repair, followed by postoperative PC injections. Minimum follow-up was 12 months. Primary outcome was the Constant-Murley score (CMS) normalized for age and gender. Subjective outcome was assessed with the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) score in its short version (Quick-DASH). Tendon integrity was assessed with MRI at 6 months after surgery. Comparison between groups for all discrete variables at baseline and at follow-up was carried out with the Student's t-test for normally distributed data, otherwise Mann-Whitney U-test was used. Within-group differences (baseline vs follow-up) for discrete variables were analyzed by paired t-test, or by Wilcoxon signed-rank test in case of data with non-normal distribution. Differences for categorical variables were assessed by chi-squared test. Significance was considered for p values < 0.05. Forty patients were included in the study (20 patients for each group). The mean follow-up was 13 ± 1.6 months. No patients were lost at the follow up. Comparison between groups did not show significant differences for baseline characteristics. At follow-up, mean CMS was 80.7 ± 16.6 points in group 1 and 91.5 ± 11.5 points in group 2 (p= 0.022). Mean DASH score was 28.6 ± 21.6 points in group 1 and 20.1 ± 17.4 points in group 2 (p= 0.178). Post-operative MRI showed 6 healed shoulders in Group 1 and 16 healed shoulders in Group 2 (p<0.004). No postoperative complications were reported in both groups. The combination of microfractures of the greater tuberosity, ECM patch graft, and subsequent PC subacromial injections is an effective strategy in improving tendon healing rate

Objectives. Platelet-rich fibrin matrix (PRFM) has been proved to enhance tenocyte proliferation but has mixed results when used during rotator cuff repair. The optimal PRFM preparation protocol should be determined before clinical application. To screen the best PRFM to each individual’s tenocytes effectively, small-diameter culture wells should be used to increase variables. The gelling effect of PRFM will occur when small-diameter culture wells are used. A co-culture device should be designed to avoid this effect. Methods. Tenocytes harvested during rotator cuff repair and blood from a healthy volunteer were used. Tenocytes were seeded in 96-, 24-, 12-, and six-well plates and co-culture devices. Appropriate volumes of PRFM, according to the surface area of each culture well, were treated with tenocytes for seven days. The co-culture device was designed to avoid the gelling effect that occurred in the small-diameter culture well. Cell proliferation was analyzed by water soluble tetrazolium-1 (WST-1) bioassay. Results. The relative quantification (condition/control) of WST-1 assay on day seven revealed a significant decrease in tenocyte proliferation in small-diameter culture wells (96 and 24 wells) due to the gelling effect. PRFM in large-diameter culture wells (12 and six wells) and co-culture systems induced a significant increase in tenocyte proliferation compared with the control group. The gelling effect of PRFM was avoided by the co-culture device. Conclusion. When PRFM and tenocytes are cultured in small-diameter culture wells, the gelling effect will occur and make screening of personalized best-fit PRFM difficult. This effect can be avoided with the co-culture device. Cite this article: C-H. Chiu, P. Chen, W-L. Yeh, A. C-Y. Chen, Y-S. Chan, K-Y. Hsu, K-F. Lei. The gelling effect of platelet-rich fibrin matrix when exposed to human tenocytes from the rotator cuff in small-diameter culture wells and the design of a co-culture device to overcome this phenomenon. Bone Joint Res 2019;8:216–223. DOI: 10.1302/2046-3758.85.BJR-2018-0258.R1

Tendons mainly consist of collagen in order to withstand high tensile forces. Compared to other, high turnover tissues, cellularity and vascularity in tendons are low. Thus, the natural healing process of tendons takes long and can be problematic. In case of injury to the enthesis, the special transition from tendon over cartilage to bone is replaced by a fibrous scar tissue, which remains an unsolved problem in rotator cuff repair. To improve tendon healing, many different approaches have been described using scaffolds, stem cells, cytokines, blood products, gene therapy and others. Despite promising in vitro and in vivo results, translation to patient care is challenging. In clinics however, tendon auto- or allografts remain still first choice to augment tendon healing if needed. Therefore, it is important to understand natural tendon properties and natural tendon healing first. Like in other tissues, senescence of tenocytes seems to play an important role for tendon degeneration which is interestingly not age depended. Our in vivo healing studies have shown improved and accelerated healing by adding collagen type I, which is now used in clinics, for example for augmentation of rotator cuff repair. Certain cytokines, cells and scaffolds may further improve tendon healing but are not yet used routinely, mainly due to missing clinical data, regulatory issues and costs. In conclusion, the correct diagnosis and correct first line treatment of tendon injuries are important to avoid the necessity to biologically augment tendon healing. However, strategies to improve and accelerate tendon healing are still desirable. New treatment opportunities may arise with further advances in tendon engineering in the future

Background. High re-rupture rates following repairs of rotator cuff tears (RCTs) have resulted in the increased use of repair grafts to act as temporary scaffolds to support tendon healing. It has been estimated that thousands of extracellular matrix repair grafts are used annually to augment surgical repair of rotator cuff tears. The only mechanical assessment of the suitability of these grafts for rotator cuff repair has been made using tensile testing only, and compared grafts to canine infraspinatus. As the shoulder and rotator cuff tendons are exposed to shearing as well as uniaxial loading, we compared the response of repair grafts and human rotator cuff tendons to shearing mechanical stress. We used a novel technique to study material deformation, dynamic shear analysis (DSA). Methods. The shear properties of four RCT repair grafts were measured (Restore, GraftJacket, Zimmer Collagen Repair and SportsMesh). 3mm-sized biopsy samples were taken and subjected to DSA using oscillatory deformation under compression to calculate the storage modulus (G') as an indicator of mechanical integrity. To assess how well the repair grafts were matched to normal rotator cuff tendons, the storage modulus was calculated for 18 human rotator cuff specimens which were obtained from patients aged between 22 and 89 years (mean age 58.8 years, with 9 males and 9 females). Control human rotator cuff tendons were obtained from the edge of tendons during hemiarthoplasties and stabilisations. A 1-way ANOVA of all of the groups was performed to compare shear properties between the different commercially available repair grafts and human rotator cuff tendons to see if they were different. Specific comparison between the different repair grafts and normal rotator cuff tendons was done using a Dunn's multiple comparison test. Results. We report a significant difference in the shear moduli of all four rotator cuff repair grafts (P<0.0001, 1 way ANOVA, Kruskall-Wallis test). 2 of the grafts, Zimmer Collagen Repair and SportMesh, were not significantly different when compared to rotator cuff tendons and were found to have comparable shear mechanical properties (P > 0.05, Dunn's multiple comparison test). The other repair grafts, GraftJacket and Restore, had a significantly lower storage modulus when compared to human rotator cuff tendons. Conclusions. With increasing numbers of repairs of rotator cuff tears, and augmentation of these repairs, there is a need to understand the mechanical and biological properties of the both repair grafts and the tendons they are designed to augment. At present there is no clear definition of the ideal mechanobiological properties of rotator cuff repair patches. Current rotator cuff repair grafts display a wide variation in their shear mechanical properties, and how closely they are matched to the mechanical properties of human rotator cuff tendons. It is hoped that this study may help to guide surgeons in deciding on the most appropriate rotator cuff tendon repair graft

Summary Statement. Tendon-bone interface becomes matured with the perforating fiber and the cells striding over the bone area. We suggest that both “perforating fiber” and “cell stride” could play a crucial role in regeneration after rotator cuff repair. Introduction. To obtain a successful outcome after rotator cuff repair, repaired tendon requires to be anchored biologically to the bone. However, it is well known that the histological structure of the repaired tendon-bone insertion is totally different from the normal insertion. This morphological alteration may contribute to biological instability after surgical repair. To address these issues, it is fundamental to clarify the difference of the structure between the normal and the repaired insertion in detail. Surprisingly, few studies on the tendon-bone insertion using electron microscopy has been performed so far, since the insertion area is solid (bone/cartilage) and extremely limited for the analysis. Recently, a new scanning electron microscopical method (FIB/SEM tomography) has been developed, making it possible to analyze the wider area with the higher resolution and reconstruct 3D ultrastructures. The purpose of this study was to analyze the ultrastructure of the repaired supraspinatus tendon-bone insertion in rat using FIB/SEM tomography. Materials and Methods. Adult Sprague-Dawley rats underwent complete cuff tear and subsequent repair of the supraspinatus tendon. The repaired supraspinatus tendon-bone interface was evaluated at 2 and 4 weeks after surgery. At each time point, 6 shoulders were used for biomechanical testing (ultimate load-to-failure and linear stiffness), 3 shoulders for conventional histological analysis and 3 shoulders for the ultrastructural analysis. The supraspinatus tendon insertion of the age-matched adult SD rats was used as normal control. For statistical analysis, the Wilcoxon's rank sum test was used to compare load-to-failure and linear stiffness. Differences of P<0.05 were considered significant. Results. <Biomechanical testing> All shoulders failed at the tendon-bone interface. The ultimate load-to-failure and the linear stiffness were significantly greater at 8 weeks than at 4 weeks (p<0.05). Normal tendon-bone insertion: The normal supraspinatus insertion consists of four-layered structure: tendon, fibrocartilage, mineralised fibrocartilage and bone. Repaired tendon-bone interface. At week 2, the fibro-vascular tissue was intervened between the tendon and bone at the repaired site. At week 4, the fibro-vascular tissue became organised, and perforating fibers were partially observed. <Ultrastructure using FIB/SEM tomography> Normal tendon-bone insertion: The ultrastructure of the normal supraspinatus insertion was very smooth. The cells were located between collagen bundles and arranged with their cell processes parallel to the bundles. Repaired tendon-bone interface: At week 2, the cells in the fibro-vascular tissue were arranged irregularly. At week 4, a part of the cells became arranged regularly and participated in linkage between the fibro-vascular tissue and bone, striding their processes across the bone side. Apparent boundary separating the fibro-vascular tissue from bone was observed throughout the periods. Conclusion. At 4 weeks after surgery, the repaired supraspinatus insertion remains to be immature and biologically weak. At 8 weeks after the surgery, it becomes matured with the perforating fiber and the cells striding over the bone area. We therefore suggest that both “perforating fiber” and “cell stride” could play a crucial role in regeneration of the tendon-bone interface after rotator cuff repair

The purpose of the this survey study was twofold: 1) to examine different aspects of satisfaction with post-operative care in injured workers who have undergone rotator cuff surgery and 2) to examine the relationship between receiving a newly implemented summary report and the overall satisfaction with surgery and recovery. The clinical communication summary report was given to injured workers following their review assessment to share with the family doctor or other health care providers. The form indicated a need for further assessments or investigations and return to work recommendations. The study involved using a satisfaction survey that examined different aspects of follow-up visit and workers’ opinion about their understanding of the nature of surgery, their progress, clinical management, and usefulness of the newly implemented summery report. Eighty patients completed the questionnaire (mean age: 54 (8), 62(78%) males, of whom 26 (34%) had a rotator cuff decompression and 31 (40%) had a rotator cuff repair with 20 (26%) having both procedures and three missing data. There were no statistically significant relationships between the patient demographics (age, sex or type of surgery) and satisfaction. However, there was a significant correlation between how patients perceived the summary report in terms of helpfulness and the overall satisfaction with surgery (FTE<0.0004, p=0.001) and the satisfaction with recovery (FTE<0.0001, p=0.001). This may indicate that improvement in worker's understanding of their treatment recommendations and restrictions is associated with higher levels of overall satisfaction in this population. Our results indicate a positive linear relationship between expressing a high satisfaction and the helpfulness of the summary report. As part of improving care, adding a summary report may facilitate sharing information with the injured workers, their care providers and their workplace

Though retear rates following rotator cuff repair are well established, we set out to review current literature to determine when early retears occurred (defined as <12m following surgery), and examine which pre- and post-operative variables might affect outcome. Pubmed, Medline, and CINAHL were searched for literature published from 2011 to 2021 using specific search terms. The inclusion criteria were studies reporting retear rates within 12 months of initial surgical repair. Exclusionary criteria were studies that included partial thickness tears, and studies that did not use imaging modalities within 12 months to assess for retears. PRISMA guidelines were followed, identifying a total of 10 papers. A combined total of 3372 shoulders included (Mean age 56 −67 years). The most common modality used to identify early retears were ultrasound scan and MRI. 6 of the 10 studies completed imaging at 0-3 months, 6 studies imaged at 3-6 months and 6 studies imaged at 6-12 months. Across all studies, there was a 17% early retear rate (574 patients). Of these, 13% occurred by 3 months, whilst the peak for retears occurred at 3-6 months (82%) and 5% occurred at 6-12 months. The risk of retear was higher in larger tears and extensive tendon degeneration. All studies apart from one documented a return to work/sport at 6 months post-operatively. Postoperative rehabilitation does not appear to alter retear rate, although data is limited with only 1 of 10 studies allowing active range of movement before 6 weeks. Retorn tendons had poorer functional outcomes compared to intact tendons at 12m following initial repair. The majority of early retears occur at 3-6 months and this time period should be prioritised both in rehabilitation protocols and future research. Age, tear size, and tendon degeneration were found to influence likelihood of early retears

The risk of falls in patients undergoing orthopedic procedures is particularly significant in terms of health and socioeconomic effects. The literature analyzed closely this risk following procedures performed on the lower limb, but the implications following procedures on the upper limb remain to be investigated. Interestingly, it is not clear whether the increased risk of falling in patients undergoing shoulder surgery is due to preexisting risk factors at surgery or postoperative risk factors, such as anesthesiologic effects, opioid medications used for pain control, or brace use. Only one prospective study examined gait and fall risk in patients using a shoulder abduction brace (SAB) after shoulder surgery, revealing that the brace adversely affected gait kinematics with an increase in the risk of falls. The main purpose of the study was to investigate the influence of SAB on gait parameters in patients undergoing shoulder surgery. Patients undergoing elective shoulder surgery (arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, and Latarjet procedure), who used a 15° SAB in the postoperative period, were included. Conversely, patients age > 65 years old, with impaired lower extremity function (e.g., fracture sequelae, dysmorphism, severe osteo-articular pathology), central and peripheral nervous system pathologies, and cardiac/respiratory/vascular insufficiency were excluded. Participants underwent kinematic analysis at four different assessment times: preoperative (T0), 24 hours after surgery (T1), 1 week after surgery (T2), and 1 week after SAB removal (T3). The tests used for kinematic assessment were the Timed Up and Go (TUG) and the 10-meter test (10MWT), both of which examine functional mobility. Agility and balance were assessed by a TUG test (transitions from sitting to standing and vice versa, walking phase, turn-around), while gait (test time, cadence, speed, and pelvic symmetry) was evaluated by the 10MWT. Gait and functional mobility parameters during 10MWT and TUG tests were assessed using the BTS G-Walk sensor (G-Sensor 2). One-way ANOVA for repeated measures was conducted to detect the effects of SAB on gait parameters and functional mobility over time. Statistical analysis was performed with IBM®SPSS statistics software version 23.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL, USA), with the significant level set at p<0.05. 83% of the participants had surgery on the right upper limb. A main effect of time for the time of execution (duration) (p=0.01, η2=0.148), speed (p<0.01, η2=0.136), cadence (p<0.01, η2=0.129) and propulsion-right (R) (p<0.05, η2=0.105) and left (L) (p<0.01, η2=0.155) in the 10MWT was found. In the 10MWT, the running time at T1 (9.6±1.6s) was found to be significantly longer than at T2 (9.1±1.3s, p<0.05) and at T3 (9.0±1.3s, p=0.02). Cadence at T1 (109.7±10.9steps/min) was significantly lower than at T2 (114.3 ±9.3steps/min, p<0.01) and T3 (114.3±9.3steps/min, p=0.02). Velocity at T1 (1.1±0.31m/s) was significantly lower than at T2 (1.2± 0.21m/s, p<0.05). No difference was found in the pelvis symmetry index. No significant differences were found during the TUG test except for the final rotation phase with T2 value significantly greater than T3 (1.6±0.4s vs 1.4±0.3s, p<0.05). No statistically significant differences were found between T0 and T2 and between T0 and T3 in any of the parameters analyzed. Propulsion-R was significantly higher at T3 than T1 (p<0.01), whereas propulsion-L was significantly lower at T1 than T0 (p<0.05) and significantly higher at T2 and T3 than T1 (p<0.01). Specifically, the final turning phase was significantly higher at T2 than T3 (p<0.01); no significant differences were found for the duration, sit to stand, mid-turning and stand to sit phases. The results demonstrated that the use of the abduction brace affects functional mobility 24 hours after shoulder surgery but no effects were reported at longer term observations

Approximately 30% of general practice consultations for musculoskeletal pain are related to tendon disorders, causing substantial personal suffering and enormous related healthcare costs. Treatments are often prone to long rehabilitation times, incomplete functional recovery, and secondary complications following surgical repair. Overall, due to their hypocellular and hypovascular nature, the regenerative capacity of tendons is very poor and intrinsically a disorganized scar tissue with inferior biomechanical properties forms after injury. Therefore, advanced therapeutic modalities need to be developed to enable functional tissue regeneration within a degenerative environment, moving beyond pure mechanical repair and overcoming the natural biological limits of tendon healing. Our recent studies have focused on developing biologically augmented treatment strategies for tendon injuries, aiming at restoring a physiological microenvironment and boosting endogenous tissue repair. Along these lines, we have demonstrated that the local application of mesenchymal stromal cell-derived small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) has the potential to improve rotator cuff tendon repair by modulating local inflammation and reduce fibrotic scarring. In another approach, we investigated if the local delivery of the tendon ECM protein SPARC, which we previously demonstrated to be essential for tendon maturation and tissue homeostasis, has the potential to enhance tendon healing. Finally, I will present results demonstrating the utility of nanoparticle-delivered, chemically modified mRNAs (cmRNA) to improve tendon repair

This study aims to investigate the mechanical properties of a rotator cuff tear repaired with a polypropylene interposition graft in an ovine infraspinatus ex-vivo model. Twenty fresh shoulders from skeletally mature sheep were used in this study. A tear size of 20 mm from the tendon joint was created in the infraspinatus tendon to simulate a large tear in fifteen specimens. This was repaired with a polypropylene mesh used as an interposition graft between the ends of the tendon. Eight specimens were secured with mattress stitches while seven were secured to the remnant tendon on the greater tuberosity side by continuous stitching. Remaining five specimens with an intact tendon served as a control group. All specimens underwent cyclic loading with a universal testing machine to determine the ultimate failure load and gap distance. Gap distance increased with progressive cyclic loading through 3000 cycles for all repaired specimens. Mean gap distance after 3000 cycles for both continuous and mattress groups are 1.7 mm and 4.2 mm respectively (P = .001). Significantly higher mean ultimate failure load was also observed with 549.2 N in the continuous group, 426.6 N in the mattress group and 370 N in the intact group. The use of a polypropylene mesh as an interposition graft for large irreparable rotator cuff tears is biomechanically suitable and results in a robust repair that is comparable to an intact rotator cuff tendon. When paired with a continuous suturing technique, it demonstrates significantly resultant superior biomechanical properties that may potentially reduce re-tear rates after repairing large or massive rotator cuff tears

The treatment of massive chronic tears is problematic. The re-tear rate following surgery for extensive cuff tears remains high, and there is little consensus regarding optimum treatment. To investigate the outcome of a cohort of patients who had open repair of an extensive cuff tear using the Leeds Kuff patch as an augment. A retrospective cohort study of consecutive patients with a massive cuff tear who had surgery in our regional elective orthopaedic centre over a two year period from January 2015 to Dec 2016. All patients followed identical rehabilitation protocols, supervised by physiotherapists with an interest in the shoulder. Outcomes assessment was undertaken at a minimum of 12 months by a registrar or physiotherapist who was not part of the treating team. Pre-op data collection included; range of motion, pain score, Oxford shoulder score (OSS), assessment of muscle atrophy on MRI. Data collection was completed in 15 patients. The mean age was 62 yrs (56 – 75). The mean pre-op OSS was 22, improving to a mean of 43. The range of motion and pain score improved. There were no intra-operative complications. One patient required a second surgery for evacuation of a haematoma at 10 days post op. One patient had an obvious re-tear at 4 months. Open rotator cuff repair with synthetic Kuff patch augmentation for chronic degenerative tears appears worthwhile when assessed at 12 months and they continuous to improve even at 18 months. This treatment method may be a useful option for patients > 70 years old

Surgical repair of rotator cuff tears have high failure rates (20–70%), often due to a lack of biological healing. Augmenting repairs with extracellular matrix-based scaffolds is a common option for surgeons, although to date, no commercially available product has proven to be effective. In this study, a novel collagen scaffold was assessed for its efficacy in augmenting rotator cuff repair. The collagen scaffold was assessed in vitro for cytocompatability and retention of tenocyte phenotype using alamarBLUE assays, confocal imaging and real-time PCR. Immunogenicity was assessed in vitro by the activation of pre-macrophage cells. In vivo, using a modified rat rotator cuff defect model, supraspinatus tendon repairs were carried out in 46 animals. Overlay augmentation with the collagen scaffold was compared to unaugmented repairs. At 6- and 12-weeks post-op the repairs were tested biomechanically to evaluate repair strength, and histologically for quality of healing. The collagen scaffold supported human tenocyte growth in vitro, with cells appearing morphologically tenocytic and expressing higher tendon gene markers compared to plastic controls. No immunogenic responses were provoked compared to suture material control. In vivo, augmentation with the scaffold improved the histological scores at 12 weeks (8.37/15 vs. 6.43/15, p=0.0317). However, no significant difference was detected on mechanical testing. While the collagen scaffold improved the quality of healing of the tendon, a meaningful increase in biomechanical strength was not achieved. This is likely due to its inability to affect the bone-tendon junction. Future materials/orthobiologics must target both the repaired tendon and the regenerating bone-tendon junction

Introduction. Rotator cuff healing after an arthroscopic repair is discussible because of the high incidence of failures. Among biologic augmentations currently used, platelet-rich plasma (PRP) is one of the most applied, supposed to enhance and accelerate the healing process in different musculoskeletal disorders. However, the evidence supporting its successful administration is still lacking, especially in the field of the rotator cuff repair. Our purpose is to clarify if the recovery is accelerated and the integrity of repaired construct is increased in patients undergoing PRP injections after arthroscopic repair of the rotator cuff. Patients & Methods. Thirty-eight patients with full-thickness rotator cuff tears have been enrolled after they had been informed about the use of PRP and the timing of its application postoperatively. Seventeen patients underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair and PRP injections (3 injections at 10 days each other), 21 underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair without PRP injections. Outcomes were assessed preoperatively, at 3, 6, 12, and minimum 16 months after surgery (average 17.7 +/− 1.7 months). Constant system, the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) system and a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) scale were used; range of motion and strength in all planes were also assessed. The healing of the repair was assessed at magnetic resonance imaging at a minimum follow up of 6 months from surgery. All patients had the same rehabilitation protocol. Results. Platelet-rich plasma gel application after to arthroscopic rotator cuff tear repairs did not accelerate recovery with respect to pain, range of motion, strength, functional scores, or overall satisfaction as compared with conventional repair at any time point. There was no difference between the 2 groups after 3, 6, 12, months and at final follow up. The follow-up MRI showed no significant difference in the healing rate of the rotator cuff tear. In addition, magnetic resonance imaging, at a minimum of 6 months after surgery, demonstrated a retear rate of 23.5 % in the PRP group and 19% in the conventional group, there was no statistical significance between the groups (P = .658). Discussion/Conclusion. Although PRP application after arthroscopic repair of the rotator cuff has no effects on clinical recovery and structural integrity, it reduces the postoperative occurrence of shoulder stiffness. Further studies should support these findings

Glutamate regulates the expression of apoptosis-related genes and triggers the apoptosis of fibroblasts in rotator cuff tendons. Subacromial bursitis is always accompanied by symptomatic rotator cuff tear (RCT). However, no study has been reported on the presence of glutamate in subacromial bursa and on its involvement of shoulder pain in patients who had RCT. The purposes of this study were to determine whether the glutamate expression in subacromial bursa is associated with the presence of RCT and with the severity of shoulder pain accompanying RCT. Subacromial bursal tissues were harvested from patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff tendon repair or glenoid labral repair with intact rotator cuff tendon. Glutamate tissue concentrations were measured, using a glutamate assay kit. Expressions of glutamate and its receptors in subacromial bursae were histologically determined. The sizes of RCT were determined by arthroscopic findings, using the DeOrio and Cofield classification. The severity of shoulder pain was determined, using visual analog scale (VAS). Any associations between glutamate concentrations and the size of RCT were evaluated, using logistic regression analysis. The correlation between glutamate concentrations and the severity of pain was determined, using the Pearson correlation coefficient. Differences with a probability <0.05 were considered statistically significant. Glutamate concentrations showed significant differences between the torn tendon group and the intact tendon group (P = 0.009). Concentrations of glutamate significantly increased according to increases in tear size (P < 0.001). In histological studies, the expressions of glutamate and of its ionotropic and metabotropic receptors have been confirmed in subacromial bursa. Glutamate concentrations were significantly correlated with pain on VAS (Rho=0.56 and P =0.01). The expression of glutamate in subacromial bursa is significantly associated with the presence of RCT and significantly correlated with its accompanying shoulder pain. Acknowledgements: This research was supported by the Basic Science Research Program, through the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF) funded by the Ministry of Education (NRF-2015R1D1A3A01018955 and 2017R1D1A1B03035232)

Obesity is associated with poor outcomes and increased risk of failure after rotator cuff (RC) repair surgery. The effect of diet-induced obesity (DIO) on enthesis healing has not been well characterised and whether its effects can be reversed with dietary intervention is unknown. We hypothesised that DIO would result in inferior enthesis healing in a rat model of RC repair and that dietary intervention in the peri-operative period would improve enthesis healing. A total of 78 male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into three weight-matched groups from weaning and fed either: control diet (CD), high-fat diet (HFD), or HFD until surgery, then CD thereafter (HF-CD). After 12 weeks the left supraspinatus tendon was detached, followed by immediate surgical repair. At 2 and 12 weeks post-surgery, animals were cullers and RCs harvested for biomechanical and histological evaluation. Body composition and metabolic markers were assessed via DEXA and plasma analyses, respectively. DIO was established in the HFD and HF-CD groups prior to surgery, and subsequently reversed in the HF-CD group after surgery. At 12 weeks post-surgery, plasma leptin concentrations were higher in the HFD group compared to the CD group (5.28 vs. 2.91ng/ml, P=0.003). Histologically, the appearance of the repaired entheses was poorer in both the HFD and HF-CD compared to the CD group at 12 weeks (overall histological score 6.20 (P=0.008), 4.98 (P=0.001) and 8.68 out of 15, respectively). The repaired entheses in the HF-CD group had significantly lower (26.4 N, P=0.028) load-at-failure 12 weeks post-surgery compared to the CD group (34.4 N); while the HFD group was low, but not significantly different (28.1 N, P=0.096). Body mass at the time of surgery, plasma leptin and body fat percentage were negatively correlated with histological scores and plasma leptin with load-at-failure 12 weeks post-surgery. DIO impaired enthesis healing in this rat RC repair model, with inferior biomechanical and histological outcomes. Restoring normal weight with dietary change after surgery did not improve healing outcomes. Exploring interventions that improve the metabolic state of obese patients and counselling patients appropriately about their modest expectations after repair should be considered

Treatment of massive rotator cuff tears can be challenging. Previous studies with irreparable rotator cuff tears showed good clinical results of tendon healing with the arthroscopic insertion of a protective biodegradable spacer balloon filled with saline solution between the repaired tendon and the acromion [1,2], but so far no scientific evidence has showed how the device alters pressures over the repaired tendon. This biomechanical study investigated the effects of a spacer inserted in the subacromial space on pressures over the repaired rotator cuff tendon in passive motion cycles typical for post-operative rehabilitation routines. Six human cadaveric shoulders were prepared with the humerus cut 15cm below the joint and embedded in a pot, while the scapula fixed at three points on a plate. A rotator cuff tear was simulated and repaired using a suture anchor and a Mason-Allen suture. The specimens were then mounted on a custom-made pneumatic testing rig to induce passive motion cycles of adduction-abduction (90–0°) and flexion-extension (0–40°) with constant glenohumeral and superior loads and tension is exerted on the supraspinatus tendon with weights. A pressure sensor was placed between the supraspinatus tendon and the acromion. After pressure measurements for 15 cycles of each motion type, the InSpace balloon (OrthoSpace, Inc, Israel) was inserted and the specimens tested and pressure measured again for 15 cycles. Statistically significant changes in peak pressures were then measured before and after balloon. Peak pressures were measured near 90 degrees abduction. No statistical differences were observed for internal-external rotation before and after balloon-shaped subacromial spacer was inserted. Mean pressures in abduction-adduction were significantly reduced from 121.7 ± 9.5 MPa to 51.5 ± 1.2 MPa. Peak pressures after repair were 1171.3 ± 99.5 MPa and 1749.6 ± 80.7 MPa in flexion-extension and abduction-adduction motion, respectively, and significantly decreased to 468.7 ± 16.0 MPa and 535.1 ± 27.6 MPa after spacer insertion (p<0.0001). The use of the spacer above the repaired tendon reduced peak pressures and distributed them more widely over the sensor during both abduction-adduction and flexion-extension motions and therefore can reduce the stress on the rotator cuff repair. The InSpace system may reduce the pressure on the repaired tendon, thus potentially protecting the repair. Further studies to investigate this phenomenon are warranted, in particular relating these changes to shoulder kinematics following tear repair and spacer insertion

Summary Statement. This study describes the design and preliminary in vitro testing of a novel patch for the repair of rotator cuff tendon tears. The laminated design incorporates woven and electrospun components. The woven element provides the patch with excellent mechanical strength and the electrospun layer improves cell attachment and promotes cell orientation and diferentiation. Introduction. Aligned nanofibrous electrospun scaffolds have been previously proposed as ideal scaffolds for tendon repair, replicating the anisotropy of tendon and providing a biomimetic design to encourage tissue regeneration (Hakimi et al., 2012). However, such scaffolds are still limited in terms of mechanical properties. This paper presents the design of a novel patch for rotator cuff repair in which the electrospun scaffold is supported by a woven component. Patients & Methods. Aligned polydioxanone (PDO) electrospun scaffolds were produced using a single nozzle electrospinning set-up with a rotating collector. The woven component was created by weaving PDO monofilaments with a manual loom. The woven and non-woven constituents were bound by a non-destructive method which preserves the surface morphology of the electrospun material. For each type of scaffold, a minimum of 3 specimens were tested to failure in tension using Zwick machine at rate of 0.3 mm/min until failure. For in vitro work, human-derived tendon cells were extracted from rotator cuff tendon tissue obtained during surgical repair, with appropriate ethical approval. Cells were cultured on the scaffolds for at least 14 days. Results. The contribution of the woven component to the tensile strength of the assembled patch is about 20 times more when compared to the electrospun scaffold. In vitro work shows that human tenocytes grown on the nanofibrous non-woven electrospun component align in the direction of the fibre orientation. The appearance of the woven component is shown. Discussion/Conclusion. While the woven component provides most of the mechanical strength, the aligned electrospun fibres enable cell orientation along the axis of the patch. These cells display a similar morphology to tenocytes in native tendons. With the combination of biomimetic features and good mechanical properties, this novel PDO patch is an excellent candidate material to support tendon repair

Introduction. recent studies recognised metabolic abnormalities as additional factors in the development of rotator cuff (RC) tendinopathy. It has been hypothesised that the insertional area of this tendon is susceptible to degenerative changes due to intrinsic hypovascularization. The mechanisms underlying this process are not yet clear. In this study we attempted to confirm if larger lesions of the RC are related to impaired vasodilatatory response of the local circulation in conditions of “hemodynamic stress”. Patients & Methods. it was assumed that impaired vasal reaction to “hemodynamic stress” was a systemic condition. This phenomenon should therefore be not limited to the critical area of the tendon tear. Given this assumption post-ischemic vasodilation of brachial artery was studied through an echo-doppler (US) evaluation. 50 patients (mean 61 ± 4, range 50–65) all scheduled for surgical rotator cuff repair following a tendon tear, were enrolled. Three preoperative measurements of the brachial artery diameter before and after application of an ischemic band were collected. The size of the lesions was later assessed at the time of surgery. A statistical analysis was carried on to investigate the correlation between US assessment of brachial artery diameter and the corresponding size of the RC lesions. UCLA and ASES scores were also measured to assess clinical and functional outcomes. Results. Patients were classified into 4 groups according to Cofield's classification of tear size; respectively, 4 patients had massive lesions, 32 large, 10 medium and 4 had finally small lesions. The extent of the RC lesion showed an inverse correlation with the diameter of brachial artery after an ischemic stimulus: an increase in size of the lesion corresponded to lower mean post-ischemic diameter of the vessel (p <0.0001). UCLA and ASES data showed no statistically significant differences between the subgroups (p > 0.534). Discussion/Conclusion. It is not clear why the insertional area of tendons composing the RC is hypovascularised. We hypothesised there is an imbalance between local vasodilator and vasoconstrictor factors. The prevalence of vasoconstrictor substances determines a reduced post-ischemic vasodilation. The data presented provide the basis for the future identification of vascular impairment that could underlie the beginning of tendon degeneration in patients that are not yet affected by injury. This would be beneficial for effective prevention of this type of injury. An imbalance between vasodilator and vasoconstrictor factors could be the basis for vascular distress of RC eventually evolving into tendon lesions when other risk factors are associated. More specific vascular pathophysiological studies are however needed to further understand this mechanism and its potential in prevention of rotar cuff lesion