The biceps tendon may help healing after a shoulder replacement

At Oregon Shoulder Institute, we are exploring ways to optimize outcomes after shoulder replacement, including subscapularis repair techniques.

During either reverse or anatomic shoulder replacement, the first portion of the biceps tendon is removed as part of the procedure to allow access to the shoulder joint. However, instead of discarding the tendon, we developed a technique that explored the possibility of using this segment to promote subscapularis healing at the repair site after implant placement, since the biceps tendon has biologic properties that may stimulate healing.

Why subscapularis healing matters

Subscapularis failure could lead to implant instability and weakness after surgery. These complications have led surgeons to explore new ideas for optimizing subscapularis healing.

Some have used grafts from other individuals (allografts) and from other body areas (autografts). However, biceps tendon use is less costly, avoids extraction from other body regions, and avoids an immune reaction when using allografts. Based on these considerations, we explored the potential of the biceps tendon to avoid instability and maintain subscapularis function long-term by promoting healing.

Our technique is published in JSES Reviews, Reports, and Techniques.