Using Biceps Tendon Autograft as a Patch in the Treatment of Massive Irreparable Rotator Cuff Tears Improves Patient-reported Outcome Scores: A Systematic Review

Purpose: To review the clinical studies describing the use of ipsilateral biceps tendon autograft for bridging irreparable massive rotator cuff tears (MRCTs). Methods: A systematic review was conducted of MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane, CINAHL, and Scopus databases using search terms “massive rotator cuff tear,” “irreparable rotator cuff tear,” and “long head of the biceps tendon.” Only clinical human studies in which the biceps tendon was used as a bridging graft in MRCTs were included. All review studies, technique papers, and studies describing the use of biceps tendon as superior capsular reconstruction equivalent or rotator cable were excluded. Results: A total of 45 studies were initially identified, of which only 6 studies met the inclusion criterion. All studies were retrospective in nature, with a total of 176 patients. All studies reported a clinically significant improvement in postoperative functional outcomes, although this was not compared to a control group in all the studies. Pain was assessed using the visual analog scale (VAS) in 4 studies, and all reported an improvement in postoperative VAS ranging from 5 to 6 points. One study reported an improvement in pain scale from Japanese Orthopedic Association from 13.1 to 22.5 (9 points). One study did not report a VAS score as this study was published before the VAS score was developed. All the reported studies saw improvements in range of motion. Conclusions: The use of the long head of the biceps tendon as an interposition/bridging patch to augment the MRCT repair can reduce the VAS score, improve elevation and external rotation, and improve clinical and functional outcomes. Level of Evidence: IV, systematic review of Level III and IV studies.