Researchers blend orthopedics, engineering to better repair torn rotator cuffs (ECNMag)
Rotator cuff tears are among the most common orthopedic injuries among adults in the United States, due to wear and tear or the effects of age. With a 94 percent failure rate for surgical repairs of large tears in older patients, it's no surprise that the injury is a major cause of pain and disability.
With a five-year, $3.1 million grant from the National Institutes of Health, orthopedic researchers and engineers at Washington University in St. Louis are working to discover a better way to improve the outcome of surgical repairs by studying the natural attachment of tendon to bone. This understanding could lead to the engineering of new tissues that could enhance cuff repair.
"Every motion you make is related to the attachment of tendon to bone," says Guy Genin, PhD, professor of mechanical engineering in the School of Engineering & Applied Science. "The muscle is attached to the tendon, and the tendon is attached to the bone. Any break in the linkage will prevent motion, so this attachment is vital to the way the body works."
The rotator cuff is a group of four tendons and muscles that con...
