Evaluation of a novel bone-tendon allograft technique for rotator cuff repair [abstract]

Abstract

Background: The rotator cuff consists of a group of four muscles that collectively are vital for shoulder joint stability. A rotator cuff tear is a condition common in humans, occurring as a result of impingement of the cuff tendons under the coracoacromial arch. Repairs of chronic tears have reported to fail in 89%-94% of cases depending on the technique used. One of the common reasons for failure has been the weakness of the interaction at the bone-tendon junction. The technique we postulate uses a bone-tendon allograft (as opposed to a tendon only allograft) putting less emphasis on the weak interaction at the bone-tendon junction. In addition by using a bone allograft attached to the tendon, there is conceivably better bone union as opposed to tendon allografts without a bone plug. To our knowledge no previous study has investigated this technique as a repair method for rotator cuff tears. We will be using a canine model to investigate this primarily human problem.