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VIDEO: Romeo, Tokish discuss options for the repair of large, massive rotator cuff tears
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WAIKOLOA, Hawaii — In a Facebook Live event held at Orthopedics Today Hawaii, Anthony A. Romeo, MD, and John M. Tokish, MD, discussed the options orthopedic surgeons now have in the treatment of large to massive rotator cuff tears.
“The principle is we repair what we can, especially if it is good tissue,” Romeo said.
Among the most important lessons are to remember to follow timeless principles, for example recognizing tear configuration, Tokish said
“When we get into those really big tears, sometimes the first thing to say is ‘Don’t panic. Let’s look at the anatomy.’ Sometimes those aren’t as bad as what they seem. Recognize the tear. Figure out how to get it back to the edge. A lot of times, those are repairable,” he said.
Romeo said that even after tissues are loosened and the tear just doesn’t come together thus creating a gap, usually at the supraspinatus, the choices include spanning the gap with a graft, reinforcing it or abandoning it to go with a different technology.