Effect of co-administration of atelocollagen and hyaluronic acid on rotator cuff healing

ABSTRACT

Background@#This study aimed to evaluate the co-administration effect of atelocollagen combined with hyaluronic acid (HA) injections fortreatment of full-thickness rotator cuff tear (RCT). @*Methods@#Eighty patients who underwent arthroscopic rotator cuff repair for full-thickness RCT from March 2018 to November 2019 wereenrolled. The patients were randomly allocated to the following groups combined atelocollagen and HA injection (group I, n=28), only HAinjection (group II, n=26), and no injection (group III, n=26). Clinical outcomes were assessed at 3, 6, and 12 months after surgery usingthe American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, visual analog scale pain score, functional scores (pain visual analog scale, function visualanalog score), and range of motion. Magnetic resonance imaging was performed 12 months after surgery to evaluate rotator cuff integrity. @*Results@#Preoperative demographic data and postoperative clinical outcomes did not differ significantly among the three groups (p>0.05).However, in group I, the number of steroid injections after surgery was significantly lower than that in the other groups (p=0.011). The retear rate on follow-up magnetic resonance imaging was significantly higher in group II (9.5%, n=2) and group III (13.6%, n=3) than ingroup I (0%, p=0.021). @*Conclusions@#Co-administration of atelocollagen and HA improves healing of the rotator cuff and increases the integrity of the rotator cuffrepair site. This study provides encouraging evidence for use of combined atelocollagen-HA injections to treat patients with full-thicknessRCT.