Journal of Functional Biomaterials
Evaluation of Tendon Fastener Designed for Percutaneous Placement in an Ovine Model for Repair of Articular-Sided Rotator Cuff Tears
By Mark Miller, Adam S. Kohring, Tiffany N. Bridges and 7 others.
Abstract
Introduction
Surgical treatment for partial-thickness rotator cuff tendon (RCT) tears often involves open or arthroscopic conversion to a full-thickness tear. A novel method has been developed that utilizes sutureless bone-to-tendon fixation using a percutaneous fastener.
Purpose
This study characterizes the biomechanical stability of the fastener in a partial-tear ovine rotator cuff model compared to that of a screw-and-washer.
Methods
The study included an ex vivo cadaveric phase and an in vivo pilot. During the ex vivo phase, the infraspinatus tendon was partially transected in 20 cadaveric sheep shoulders. Shoulders were allocated into three groups: fastener (FS) (n = 10), screw-and-washer (S/W) (n = 7), and an empty group without fixation (n = 3). In an in vivo pilot, three sheep underwent bilateral partial infraspinatus transection and repair, with the fastener in one shoulder and the screw-and-washer in the contralateral shoulder; animals were euthanized at 8 weeks for histological analysis. Both cohorts underwent biomechanical assessments, and the in vivo samples underwent histological dissection and analysis.