• January

    22

    2025
  • 30
  • 0

Biceps Smasher

Rotator cuff disorders rank among the leading causes of shoulder pain and dysfunction, significantly affecting individuals’ quality of life. The performance of rotator cuff repair to rectify tears that do not respond to conservative treatment has become an increasingly prevalent approach for managing rotator cuff pathology. However, despite the rising number of repairs, the challenge of failure due to retear remains substantial, with reported rates varying from 11% to 94%. Research into tendon biology is being conducted to identify modifiable risk factors for retear. In the early 2000s, studies on patch augmentation in rotator cuff repair yielded encouraging outcomes. A variety of patches have been utilized. Retear rate in the patch group was significantly lower (10%). In addition to the reduced retear rate, improvements in patient outcome scores were noted. Neviaser initially proposed the use of the biceps tendon for large defects with retraction where anatomic reduction was unfeasible. Their findings indicated that tenocytes could remain viable, potentially facilitating the differentiation of stem cells into mature tenocytes. The Biceps Smasher Technique represents a significant leap forward in shoulder surgery This novel method employs an autologous biceps tendon as a biological augmentation, repurposing the typically discarded proximal biceps tendon by compressing it into a patch and applying it over the repaired tendon. A notable advantage of this technique is the elimination of allograft patches, which incur significant costs. In this approach, the biceps tendon is readily accessible, and there are no additional implant charges since the tissue is conventionally discarded. Patients no longer need to endure prolonged pain or limited mobility, as this groundbreaking approach delivers lasting relief and improved quality of life.

Residual biceps tendon

Biceps Autograft Tissue Compression Plate using to compress the biceps graft

Smashed biceps graft after preparation

Introduction of biceps graft using collapsible insertion device (Graft Spreader)

After patch augmented rotator cuff repair

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