Rotator cuff repairs are one of the most common arthroscopic procedures performed worldwide, with greater than 460,000 incidences per year.1 This highly performed procedure still comes with its challenges, though, as it’s not uncommon for patients to experience a retear.
Over the last 20 years, bioinductive implants and dermal grafting have gained interest and presented an attractive surgical option as a method to reinforce repairs and decrease risk of failures. Rotator cuff augmentation has seen significant growth, with improved outcome rates compared to non-augmented repairs being reported in peer reviewed literature. Although type I bovine, bio-inductive implants and dermal allografts have shown improvements, both still come with drawbacks.2 In an effort to overcome the drawback to these two solutions presented, a group of surgeons examined the possible fit of a reinforced bioinductive implant in rotator cuff augmentation and published their findings in the Journal of Orthopaedic Experience & Innovation.2
The Introduction of BioBrace®
The BioBrace® Reinforced Bioinductive Implant is a novel bioinductive scaffold composed of highly porous type I collagen and bio-resorbable PLLA microfilaments intended for the augmentation of tendon and ligament repair.2
BioBrace® provides supplemental strength through load sharing, and allows for induction, maturation, and remodeling of new host tissue. This can prevent tissue gapping or retears by sharing the load during healing and acting to reinforce the tendon while it’s at its weakest. Over time, the highly porous collagen matrix and rapid cellular infiltration can lead to a thicker tendon. This highly porous reinforced bioinductive implant allows for a resorbable rotator cuff augment with strength.2
BioBrace® has been shown to incite a robust native healing response and the formation of regularly oriented connective tissue fibers in large animal models. 2,3
The BioBrace® Reinforced Bioinductive Implant elevates rotator cuff solutions as it combines the best properties of bioinductive implants and dermal allografts. When seeking out solutions to elevate your techniques and outcomes, consider augmenting with BioBrace®
To learn more about the BioBrace® implant, click here.
1Cheesman QT, Szukics PF, Stark M, Kramer SC, McMillan S. Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair Technique Using a Bio-Composite Scaffold for Tissue Augmentation. Arthrosc Tech. 2022 Mar 16;11(4):e517-e522. doi: 10.1016/j.eats.2021.12.001. PMID: 35493048; PMCID: PMC9051668.
2McMillan, Sean, Robert Arciero, and Elizabeth Ford. 2021. “The Next Frontier for Rotator Cuff Augmentation? Strength + Bio-Induction.” Journal of Orthopaedic Experience & Innovation Medical Device Innovations (Mar 2020-Jan 2022).
3Walsh, WR, AJ Carter, V Lovric, J Crowley, D Wills, T Wang, G Kanski, R Stanton, S Arnoczky, and R Arciero. 2021. “Tissue-Engineered Augmentation of A Rotator Cuff Tendon Using A Novel Bio-Inductive Biocomposite Scaffold: A Preliminary Study In Sheep.” Presented at the Orthopaedic Research Society (ORS) 2021 Annual Meeting; February 12-16, 2021, Virtual.