Version 1
: Received: 24 January 2024 / Approved: 25 January 2024 / Online: 25 January 2024 (10:43:31 CET)
Version 2
: Received: 19 February 2024 / Approved: 20 February 2024 / Online: 20 February 2024 (07:48:36 CET)
Version 3
: Received: 20 February 2024 / Approved: 21 February 2024 / Online: 21 February 2024 (04:15:36 CET)
Lai, A.; Tamea, C.; Shou, J.; Okafor, A.; Sparks, J.; Dodd, R.; Woods, C.; Lambert, N.; Schulte, O.; Barrett, T. Safety and Efficacy of Wharton’s Jelly Connective Tissue Allograft for Rotator Cuff Tears: Findings from a Retrospective Observational Study. Biomedicines2024, 12, 710.
Lai, A.; Tamea, C.; Shou, J.; Okafor, A.; Sparks, J.; Dodd, R.; Woods, C.; Lambert, N.; Schulte, O.; Barrett, T. Safety and Efficacy of Wharton’s Jelly Connective Tissue Allograft for Rotator Cuff Tears: Findings from a Retrospective Observational Study. Biomedicines 2024, 12, 710.
Lai, A.; Tamea, C.; Shou, J.; Okafor, A.; Sparks, J.; Dodd, R.; Woods, C.; Lambert, N.; Schulte, O.; Barrett, T. Safety and Efficacy of Wharton’s Jelly Connective Tissue Allograft for Rotator Cuff Tears: Findings from a Retrospective Observational Study. Biomedicines2024, 12, 710.
Lai, A.; Tamea, C.; Shou, J.; Okafor, A.; Sparks, J.; Dodd, R.; Woods, C.; Lambert, N.; Schulte, O.; Barrett, T. Safety and Efficacy of Wharton’s Jelly Connective Tissue Allograft for Rotator Cuff Tears: Findings from a Retrospective Observational Study. Biomedicines 2024, 12, 710.
Abstract
With the increasing occurrence of rotator cuff injuries every year, there is a great need for a reliable treatment option. Wharton’s Jelly contains several components that can positively impact the replacement and repair of musculoskeletal defects. The overall objective of this study is to evaluate the improvement of patient-reported pain scales after applying Wharton’s Jelly (WJ) in rotator cuff defects. Eighty-seven patients with rotator cuff defects who failed at least eight weeks of conservative treatment were selected from the retrospective repository. 2cc of WJ flowable allograft was applied to the specific affected anatomy, the most common being supraspinatus tendon, biceps tendon insertion, labral tear, and subscapularis tear. No adverse reactions were reported. Statistically significant improvements were found from the initial to Day 90 in all scales. Patient satisfaction was calculated using minimal clinically important differences. No statistically significant differences were found in mean changes between gender, BMI, and age. Scanning Electron Microscopy images reveal the similarities between the collagen matrix in WJ and the rotator cuff. The significant improvement in patient outcomes coincides with current literature analyzing WJ applications with other structural defects around the body. WJ is a promising alternative for musculoskeletal defects when the standard of care fails.
Medicine and Pharmacology, Orthopedics and Sports Medicine
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
