A New Way to Elevate Your Rotator Cuff Augmentation

  • Published: 4/25/2023
  • 3 min
  • Updated: 3/4/2025
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.

Advancements In The Field

Over the last 20 years, new types of implants and dermal grafting have gained interest and presented an attractive surgical option 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 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.

A new clinical study focused on the retear rates in high risk patients, including:

Large (>3cm) tears

Massive (>5cm) tears

Anterior to posterior tear >2.5cm

Infraspinatus fatty atrophy, or at least one co-morbidity

The study found that 46 of the 49 patients healed at a minimum 1 year follow-up, when most rotator cuffs fail within first 6 months. Patients in the study reported outcomes and range of motion scores all showed significant improvement at all time points.

BioBrace® with Argo GENESYS™

Combined with CONMED’s BioBrace® technology, Argo Knotless® GENESYS™ provides surgeons and their patients unparalleled strength and healing, setting a new standard in orthopedic care.

The BioBrace® Reinforced BioInductive Implant along with the Argo GENESYS™ Knotless® Suture Anchor elevates rotator cuff solutions.

Learn more about the BioBrace® Reinforced Bioinductive Implant and the Argo GENESYS® Knotless Suture Anchor.

SCHEDULE A DEMO

1 Cheesman 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.
2 McMillan, 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).
3 Walsh, 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.

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