Acellular Dermal Matrix Augmentation of Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair Reduces Re-Tear Rates: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Control Trials

The purpose of this study was to perform a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) to compare the outcomes of arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) with and without Acellular Dermal Matrix (ADM) augmentation.A literature search of three databases was performed based on the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. RCTs comparing ADM augmentation and a control for ARCR were included. Clinical outcomes were compared using Revman, and a p-value < 0.05 was considered to be statistically significant.Five RCTs with 307 patients were included. Overall, 11% of patients treated with ADM augmentation and 34% of patients in the control group had a re-tear (p = 0.0006). The mean Constant score was 90.1 with ADM augmentation, and 87.3 in controls (p = 0.02). Additionally, there was a significant higher ASES score with ADM augmentation (87.7 vs 82.1, p = 0.01).The level I evidence in the literature supports the use of ADM augment as a modality to improve re-tear rates following ARCR.