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Tendon Transfer Rotator Cuff Tear

Tendon Transfer Techniques for Massive Rotator Cuff Tear Repairs: An Integrated Prospective Randomized Multicenter Trial

Status
Terminated
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04588506
Enrollment
10
Registered
2020-10-19
Start date
2022-02-15
Completion date
2024-12-11
Last updated
2025-06-26

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Rotator Cuff Tears

Keywords

Massive Rotator Cuff Tears, Tendon Transfer, Rotator Cuff Tears, Tendon Transfer Techniques

Brief summary

This is a prospective randomized study on using muscle tendons to repair tears of the muscles on the shoulder. There are 3 muscles covering the shoulder joint- supraspinatus, infraspinatus and subscapularis. Large tears involving these muscles can be treated by using some muscle from another location of the body known as Tendon transfer techniques. These muscle tendons may be from the lower back (Latissimus Dorsi), upper pack (lower trapezius) or chest (pectoralis). There are currently no studies to show which tendon transfer technique has better outcomes. This study comprises two trials and a total of 84 participants would be enrolled. Each trial comparing the patient reported outcomes between two tendon transfer techniques. Large tears involving the supraspinatus and infraspinatus would be repaired using either the Latissimus dorsi technique or Lower trapezius technique. 21 patients would be randomly assigned to either groups. The second trial would be comparing the Latissimus dorsi technique and pectoralis technique in large tears of the subscapularis muscle. Another 21 patients would be randomly assigned to either groups. The investigators are studying to see if the Lower Trapezius and Pectoralis transfer techniques for muscle tear repairs would have better post-surgical outcomes compared with Latissimus Dorsi transfer technique. For both trials, participants would be followed up for 2 years and post-surgical outcomes would be compared between treatment groups.

Interventions

PROCEDURELower Trapezius Tendon Transfer Technique

Lower Trapezius tendon used in repairing cuff tear

PROCEDURELatissimus Dorsi Tendon Transfer Technique

Latissimus Dorsi tendon used in repairing cuff tear

PROCEDUREPectoralis Tendon Transfer Technique

Pectoralis tendon used in repairing cuff tear

Sponsors

University of Maryland, Baltimore
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Subjects must have massive, irreparable tear of the posterior-superior rotator cuff * Subjects between 18 years and 65 years (≥ 18 and ≤ 65 years of age). * Diagnosis of no to minimal glenohumeral arthritis- Hamada 1 and 2 * Subject with irreparable subscapularis tendon tear (Arms 3 and 4 ONLY)

Exclusion criteria

* Subjects having severe glenohumeral arthritis * History of prior tendon transfer * Axillary nerve injury * Deltoid deficiency * Subjects with pseudo paralysis * History of post-operative deep shoulder infection * Non-English-speaking subjects. * Subject has any condition, that in the opinion of the investigator, would prevent them from completing this study * Subject with irreparable subscapularis tendon tear (Arms 1 and 2 ONLY)

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
12-point difference in American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon (ASES) scoresAt one year post-operative follow-up visitThe American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeon (ASES) score is a validated and reliable outcomes measure in patients with a wide variety of shoulder disorders. The ASES questionnaire examines two domains- pain (50 points) and function (50 points)- in a self-reported questionnaire and is scored on a 100-point scale. The minimum score is zero and the maximum is 100. A higher score means better outcome.

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026