Scientific Rationale
While the biologic potential for healing in partial-thickness tears may exist, there are certain factors that may adversely affect the healing process such as subacromial impingement, degenerative changes, etc.
A key contributor to impaired healing and tear propagation is thought to be an increase in local strain at the injury site.
Research has demonstrated significantly increased strains at the injury site for bursal-sided, articular-sided and intra-substance tears of the supraspinatus tendon.
In a subsequent analysis, it was shown that the formation of a new layer of tendon-like tissue added to the bursal surface of the supraspinatus tendon could reduce peak strains at the site of the tear, thereby creating an environment conducive for healing.
The figure to the right shows the peak strain was reduced by 47% for a bursal- sided tear and by 40% for an articular-sided tear with the addition of 2 mm thick layer of new tissue on the bursal surface of the tendon.
Based on these findings, the Rotation Medical bioinductive implant was designed to rapidly induce new tendon-like tissue on the bursal surface of the supraspinatus tendon to help reduce the peak strain at the site of the tear and create an environment for the patient’s body to heal itself.