*Age is just a number.....*
Orthopedic Clinicians often assume that older patients don't do as well with surgery or even with regenerative medicine procedures. There may be some biological truth to that BUT we have ways to mitigate the effects of aging...and it really isn't that hard. With rotator cuff repair, several South Korean surgeons just published an excellent review comparing results of rotator cuff repair in patients older than 75 versus results for those under 75. 54 patients in each group....2 year follow up....MRI documented outcomes. The result? 18-20% retear rate in both groups....no statistically significant difference. How do we improve the soft tissue healing here? For me the answer is Biobrace....a suturable implant that adds initial strength but doesn't stress shield the tendon as it heals...and even adds size to the tendon by 3 months...and reabsorbs in about two years. We need the tissues to heal AND the tendon to reattach to the bone at the enthesis. With regenerative medicine procedures, authors like Hernigou have shown no difference in outcomes in seniors, even though the biology may be a little different. We can always draw a little more blood or bone marrow or adipose if necessary too!
Post a comment
Your email address will not be published. Fields marked (*) are mandatory.