Dr. Badman Offers New Treatment to Improve Rotator Cuff Repair
Implant has been shown to increase the repair strength by enhancing the regeneration of healthy tendon tissue thru nanofiber technology
Rotator cuff tears are a frequent cause of shoulder pain and disability in the United States and many patients undergo surgery to treat the problem with about 450,000 procedures done annually. Unfortunately, not all repairs heal and this can lead to persistent pain and ongoing problems for many patients. Rotator cuff repairs fail for many reasons with the majority of the failures attributed to advanced age, poor blood supply and ultimately poor biology and lack of healing at the repair site. Despite improvements in anchors and fixation methods over the past three decades, minimal advancements in techniques to enhance the biological healing have occurred in this same timeframe. When failures occur, they usually occur early and within four months of the procedure. Future goals of improved outcomes, therefore, should be focused on improving the cellular response and enhancing the biology of the repair site to allow for greater tendon healing.
Implant has been shown to increase the repair strength by enhancing the regeneration of healthy tendon tissue thru nanofiber technology.
Rotator cuff tears are a frequent cause of shoulder pain and disability in the United States and many patients undergo surgery to treat the problem with about 450,000 procedures done annually. Unfortunately, not all repairs heal and this can lead to persistent pain and ongoing problems for many patients. Rotator cuff repairs fail for many reasons with the majority of the failures attributed to advanced age, poor blood supply and ultimately poor biology and lack of healing at the repair site. Despite improvements in anchors and fixation methods over the past three decades, minimal advancements in techniques to enhance the biological healing have occurred in this same timeframe. When failures occur, they usually occur early and within four months of the procedure. Future goals of improved outcomes, therefore, should be focused on improving the cellular response and enhancing the biology of the repair site to allow for greater tendon healing.
Dr. Badman is the first shoulder surgeon in Indiana to now offer a new implant that has been shown to improve healing and strengthen rotator cuff repairs. The RotiumTM implant is an FDA approved biodegradable microfiber patch made of polymers that mimic the physical structure of the rotator cuff and helps support better healing and ingrowth of cellular tissue. When scar typically forms, it creates a haphazard arrangement of tissue that takes time to remodel along the lines of stress seen by the tissue. Simply put, scar tissue is not as strong in its early stages. The RotiumTM patch, however, acts like a scaffold and promotes cell migration. It localizes the cells at the repair site and provides a better organization of the healing tissue. This creates a more natural pattern that closely mimics the normal fibers (Sharpey) that connect the rotator cuff to the bone. In a recent animal study performed at Colorado State University, a nearly 75% increased strength of repair was demonstrated at twelve weeks in those tendons treated with the graft. Greater strength in the early critical healing period equals better outcomes!
The implant, which is about half the size of a stamp, is easily inserted at the time of surgery with any available anchor or suture material. It is positioned below the tendon and on top of the bone. Based on the graft dimensions (400 sq mm), it provides optimum coverage of the supraspinatus footprint (368 sq mm) which is the most common tendon affected in rotator cuff tears. Made of PLCL (poly L-lactide-co-caprolactone) and PGL (polyglycolide), the polymers completely resorb naturally after 3-4 months leaving healthy reparative tissue behind. It is extremely cost effective and significantly cheaper than other implants currently available.
If you are contemplating surgery for a torn rotator cuff, the RotiumTM implant can help improve your outcome and provide a stronger repair. This may lead to better healing and a quicker recovery.
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