Bioinductive Implant Significantly Improves Shoulder Function

A new study shows that a using a collagen-based implant alone can induce the growth of new tendon-like tissue, augmenting the body's natural healing response.

The Smith+Nephew (London, United Kingdom) REGENETEN Bioinductive implant is a collagen based implant – about the size of a postage stamp – delivered arthroscopically through a small incision over the location of a rotator cuff tendon injury and secured in place with small anchors. After implantation, the proprietary composition of the implant creates a biologic environment that is conducive to healing and facilitates the formation of new tissue that integrates and remodels into the healing tendon. Tissue strength comes from the induced tissue, not the implant, which is completely absorbed within six months.


In a new study by investigators at Harbin Clinic (Rome, GA, USA), which compared the use of a REGENETEN Implant alone to a REGENETEN Implant plus traditional surgical repair in the treatment of partial-thickness rotator cuff tears in 227 patients across 19 U.S. surgical centers, results showed a significant improvement in shoulder function in the early post-operative period with the REGENETEN Implant alone; and that at one year, treatment with the REGENETEN implant alone demonstrated equivalent efficacy to REGENETEN plus traditional surgical. The study was presented at the AOSSM-AANA combined annual meeting, held during July 2021, in Nashville (TN, USA).

“The results of this pioneering study show that using REGENETEN alone simplifies the surgical procedure. It is less invasive and can potentially lower risk of complications when compared with the current standard of care,” said lead author and study presenter Brad Bushnell, MD, chairman of the orthopedic department at Harbin Clinic. “Using REGENETEN alone gives my patients the best chance for a quicker recovery with less pain and greater function.”

The rotator cuff is a group of muscles and their tendons that stabilize the glenohumeral joint and allow for extensive range of motion in the shoulder, including abduction and internal and external rotation. Of the seven scapulohumeral muscles, four make up the rotator cuff –the supraspinatus muscle, the infraspinatus muscle, the teres minor muscle, and the subscapularis muscle. A rotator cuff tear is an injury of one or more of the tendons or muscles involved. Symptoms may include shoulder pain, weakness, and limited motion.

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Smith+Nephew
Harbin Clinic