Is "Patch and Run" The New Way to Address Partial Rotator Cuff Tears?

Abstract

Partial rotator cuff tears are managed non-operatively as a first-line treatment modality. When operative intervention is indicated, the appropriate technique has yet to be clearly elucidated. Operative management includes in-situ repair, tear completion with repair, and more recently, bioinductive collagen patch implantation. Although bioinductive collagen implants have a shorter recovery time with a less stringent rehabilitation protocol with significant improvements on magnetic resonance imaging, comparison of functional outcomes following isolated biologic patch augmentation to repair techniques is limited and demonstrates no difference.