Table 3.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Advantages

Subacromial bursa is readily available in rotator cuff repairs.

Standard rotator cuff repair techniques can be used for repair.

No special instruments or additional sutures like PDS are necessary in the repair.

The regenerative potential of subacromial bursa has been proven in several basic science studies. Use of subacromial bursa for augmentation provides added vascularity and structural strength to the repair.

Bursa-augmented cuff repair is a low-cost alternative to commercially available patches and scaffolds.

Disadvantages

Consistency of bursal tissue cannot be predicted.

Open rotator cuff repair techniques may not provide an adequate view of the dissection region and correct bursal harvest may be difficult.

Long-term benefits as compared with other augmentation tissues are not known need to be studied in a randomized control trial.

PDS, polydioxanone.