The Benefit of Synthetic Versus Biological Patch Augmentation in the Repair of Posterosuperior Massive Rotator Cuff Tears A 3-Year Follow-up Study

Background: Rotator cuff repair typically results in a satisfactory, although variable, clinical outcome. However, anatomic failure of the repaired tendon often occurs. Hypothesis: Patch augmentation can improve the results of open rotator cuff repair by supporting the healing process, protecting the suture, and reducing friction in the subacromial space. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3. Methods: A total of 152 patients with a posterosuperior massive rotator cuff tear were treated by open repair only (control group; n = 51; mean age, 67.06 +/- 4.42 years), open repair together with collagen patch augmentation (collagen group; n = 49; mean age, 66.53 +/- 5.17 years), or open repair together with polypropylene patch augmentation (polypropylene group; n = 52; mean age, 66.17 +/- 5.44 years) and were retrospectively studied. Patients were evaluated preoperatively and after 36 months with a visual analog scale (VAS) and the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder rating scale and by measuring elevation of the scapular plane and strength with a dynamometer. The VAS and UCLA scores were also obtained 2 months postoperatively. Tendon integrity was assessed after 1 year by ultrasound. Patients were homogeneous as per the preoperative assessment. Results: After 2 months, results (mean +/- standard deviation) for the control, collagen, and polypropylene groups, respectively, were as follows: VAS scores were 6.96 +/- 1.11, 6.46 +/- 1.02, and 4.92 +/- 0.90, while UCLA scores were 11.29 +/- 1.46, 11.40 +/- 1.51, and 19.15 +/- 1.99. After 36 months, the mean scores for the respective groups were 3.66 +/- 1.05, 4.06 +/- 1.02, and 3.28 +/- 1.10 for the VAS and 14.88 +/- 1.98, 14.69 +/- 1.99, and 24.61 +/- 3.22 for the UCLA scale. In addition, after 36 months, elevation on the scapular plane was 140.68 degrees +/- 9.84 degrees, 140.61 degrees +/- 12.48 degrees, and 174.71 degrees +/- 8.18 degrees, and abduction strength was 8.73 +/- 0.54 kg, 9.03 +/- 0.60 kg, and 13.79 +/- 0.64 kg for the control, collagen, and polypropylene groups, respectively. The retear rate after 12 months was 41% (21/51) for the control group, 51% (25/49) for the collagen group, and 17% (9/52) for the polypropylene group. In particular, the reduced 12-month retear rate and the increased UCLA scores, abduction strength, and elevation at 3-year follow-up were statistically significant for patients treated with a polypropylene patch compared with those treated with repair only or with a collagen patch. Conclusion: Polypropylene patch augmentation of rotator cuff repair was demonstrated to significantly improve the 36-month outcome in terms of function, strength, and retear rate.