Does xenograft augmentation improve outcomes in patients undergoing rotator cuff repair compared to standard repair?
Xenograft augmentation in rotator cuff repair does not offer clinical benefits over standard repair and is associated with higher complication rates.
= .02). No significant differences were observed in strength measurements and range of motion. Xenograft-augmented repair of rotator cuff tears does not significantly improve radiological healing nor reduce failure rates compared to standard repair. However, it is associated with a higher complication rate. These findings suggest that while xenograft materials may be safe for clinical use, their benefits over traditional repair techniques are not conclusively supported by current evidence. Further high-quality, multicenter RCTs are needed to confirm these results and to explore alternative xenograft implants as well as the role of patient-intrinsic factors, such as tear size, tendon and muscle quality, and medical comorbidities on outcome.
Oettl et al. (2024) studied this question.