Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40321851›Full record

ReviewJSES reviews, reports, and techniques2025

The role of injections of mesenchymal stem cells as an augmentation tool in rotator cuff repair: a systematic review.

Nuno Vieira Ferreira, Renato Andrade, Tânia Pinto Freitas, Clara de Campos Azevedo, João Espregueira-Mendes, António J Salgado, Nuno Sevivas

Abstract readReview
In one paragraph

Review in JSES reviews, reports, and techniques, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Trial
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Nuno Vieira FerreiraLife and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
Renato AndradeClínica Espregueira - FIFA Medical Centre of Excellence, Porto, Portugal.
Tânia Pinto FreitasHospital de Santa Maria Maior Barcelos, Barcelos, Portugal.
Clara de Campos AzevedoHospital dos SAMS de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal.
João Espregueira-MendesICVS/3B's, PT Government Associate Laboratory, Braga/Guimarães, Portugal.
António J SalgadoLife and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.
Nuno SevivasLife and Health Sciences Research Institute (ICVS), School of Health Sciences, University of Minho, Braga, Portugal.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Arthroscopic repair is currently the gold standard for the surgical treatment of rotator cuff tears, but the retear rates remain unacceptably high. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) may play a role in the local biology and enhance tendon-to-bone healing during rotator cuff repair. However, the scientific literature is still not well systematized on the effects of injection of MSCs as an augmentation tool for rotator cuff repair. Our goal was to investigate the effect of injections of MSCs to augment rotator cuff repair in patients with rotator cuff tear. Methods: PubMed and EMBASE were searched up to June 2022 for clinical studies that applied MSCs injections to augment rotator cuff repair. Imaging, patient-reported outcomes measures, shoulder range of motion and strength were collected. Quantitative synthesis included within- and between-group mean differences with the within-group percentage of minimal clinically important difference for each study and continuous outcomes, and relative risks (RR) for retears and adverse events. Quantitative synthesis was computed with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: We included 5 studies comprising a total of 228 individuals with a weighted mean age of 59.3 ± 1.2 years. Three studies used bone marrow MSCs and two studies applied adipose-derived MSCs. Patient-reported outcomes measures, shoulder range of motion, and strength improved significantly in all MSCs groups, with minimal clinically important differences ranging from 120% to 679% of established cut-off. When compared to rotator cuff repair alone, the MSCs groups did not result in improved outcomes. The MSCs group showed significant protective effect at the mid-term (RR = 0.52, 95% CI 0.27-0.98) and long-term (RR = 0.24, 95% CI 0.11-0.53). Conclusion: There are no differences in clinical and functional outcomes between rotator cuff repair with or without augmentation with MSCs. However, there may be a protective effect against retear at the mid-term and long-term follow-up when augmenting the repair with MSCs. The literature on this topic is still preliminary and the quality and certainty of evidence is limited.

Indexed as

AugmentationHealingInjectionMesenchymal stem cellsRepairRotator cuffTear

Identifiers

PMID40321851
PMCPMC12047555

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.