Biologics in the Management of Rotator Cuff Surgery

Surgical repair of rotator cuff tears is a relatively common orthopedic procedure. Although the procedure is clinically successful, the repair site frequently has incomplete healing and gap formation, owing to a fibrovascular scar-mediated healing response at the tendon-bone interface. By augmenting the repair site with biological agents, the ultimate goal is to stimulate a regenerative healing pathway. Challenges remain, however, regarding the ideal factor(s), timing, and vehicle of delivery.