A study in The American Journal of Sports Medicine examined the use of interposition porcine acellular dermal matrix xenografts for use in patients with massive rotator cuff tears.
Julie Neumann, MD, of Los Angeles-based Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic, and colleagues conducted a case series of 60 patients and 61 shoulders. Researchers observed the patients for 50.3 months after repair of massive rotator cuff tears.
Researchers measured subjective outcome data obtained visually using pain scores and Modified American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scores.
Here's what they found.
1. Mean visual analog pain decreased from a 4 to a 1.
2. Researchers observed mean active forward flexion improvements from 140.7 degrees to 160.4 degrees. External rotation at 0 degrees of abduction increased from 55.6 degrees to 70.1 degrees. Internal rotation at 90 degrees abduction was also up from 52 degrees to 76.2 degrees.
3. Researchers measured supraspinatus manual strength increases of a whole point from 7.7 to 8.8. Infraspinatus manual strength jumped from 7.7 to 9.3. Mean dynamometric strength was 77.7 N in non-operative shoulders and 67.8 N in operative shoulders. Mean dynamometric strength in external rotation was 54.5 N and 50.1 N, respectively.
4. Average postoperative MASES was 87.8
5. Approximately 91.9 percent of repairs were fully intact, 3.3 percent were partially intact and 4.9 percent were not intact.
Researchers concluded, "Patients who underwent repair of massive rotator cuff tears with interposition porcine acellular dermal matrix graft have good subjective function as assessed by the MASES score."
They added that interposition porcine acellular dermal matrix xenografts improved pain scores, range of motion and manual muscle strength. They called the procedure a "vast improvement compared with results previously reported for primary repairs of massive rotator cuff tears."
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