Comparative evaluation of surgical methods in the treatment of chronic irreparable supraspinatus tears: a biomechanical study

E. Koumantou, Christopher J. Feroussis, Ermioni D. Pasiou, Stavros K. Kourkoulis

Procedia Structural Integrity, 2025

Abstract

Chronic irreparable supraspinatus (SSP) tears are frequently treated using tensor fascia lata (TFL); however, these grafts are prone to recurrent ruptures. A TFL scaffold with seeded mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may increase the mechanical strength of the regenerated tendon. In this experimental study the above hypothesis is evaluated and the healing qualities of the MSC embedded scaffold are compared against the ones repaired with only a TFL allograft, from a biomechanical perspective. A number of skeletally mature male rabbits were used to create a chronic retracted SSP tear model. A tendon defect was created at the right shoulder of each specimen and was reconstructed six weeks later using a TFL allograft either with or without MSCs embedded. The rabbits were sacrificed twelve weeks after the operation and their biomechanical evaluation was based on the tendon’s ultimate failure load and stiffness of each group. The results of the biomechanical analysis revealed that the MSC group demonstrated a higher tensile strength than the TFL group. The values of the mean ultimate failure load and the mean stiffness of both TFL and MSC groups were significantly lower compared to the…

Cite as (BibTeX)

@article{koumantou-2025-comparative-evaluation-of-surgical,
  title={Comparative evaluation of surgical methods in the treatment of chronic irreparable supraspinatus tears: a biomechanical study},
  author={E. Koumantou and Christopher J. Feroussis and Ermioni D. Pasiou and Stavros K. Kourkoulis},
  journal={Procedia Structural Integrity},
  year={2025},
  doi={10.1016/j.prostr.2025.06.029}
}