Dermal Allograft Augmentation of Rotator Cuff Repair via the Arthroscopic Shoulder Kite Technique

Abstract

Rotator cuff tears are a common cause of shoulder pain and dysfunction. Recent and historical reports suggest that a sizable percentage of patients may experience a retear of the rotator cuff despite surgical intervention. Multiple biological and mechanical factors can influence outcomes after rotator cuff surgery, including patient age, rotator cuff tear size, chronicity, and rotator cuff tissue quality. Given this, there remains significant interest in modalities that can minimize surgical failure and improve patient outcomes after this procedure. Allograft augmentation is one option for rotator cuff augmentation in patients with large complex tears or impaired tissue quality. This technical note describes our surgical technique for arthroscopic dermal allograft augmentation of a massive rotator cuff repair with the shoulder kite technique.