Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41549447›Full record

Trial reportThe American journal of sports medicine2026

Effect of Subacromial Bursa Augmentation on Self-Reported and Magnetic Resonance Imaging Outcomes in Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: A Prospective, Blinded Randomized Clinical Trial.

James M Gregory, Ashley Z Smith, Payam Zandiyeh

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in The American journal of sports medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT04634084 (Subacromial Bursa Re-Implantation After Rotator Cuff Repair - A Randomized Controlled Trial), which is not on this 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.

NCT04634084 nacompletednot on this map

Subacromial Bursa Re-Implantation After Rotator Cuff Repair - A Randomized Controlled Trial

TypeinterventionalSponsorThe University of Texas Health Science Center, HoustonRan2021 to 2025Enrolled67ConditionsRotator Cuff InjuriesArmsExperimental group(Bursa Implantation), Control Group(Standard of Care)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
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

3 authors.

James M GregoryDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-3595-7158
Ashley Z SmithDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.
Payam ZandiyehDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, McGovern Medical School, The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, Houston, Texas, USA.

Funding

Multicenter, longitudinal study of acromioclavicular joint reconstruction techniques for restoring shoulder complex biomechanics and soft tissue healthR01AR083471 · NIAMS · UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS HLTH SCI CTR HOUSTON · PI Payam Zandiyeh · 2024 to 2026
$2.0M
NIAMS NIH HHS R01 AR083471
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundRotator cuff repair (RCR) failure remains a persistent clinical challenge despite advances in surgical techniques. Although the subacromial bursa-historically excised during repair-is recognized for its regenerative potential due to its rich population of connective tissue progenitor cells, high-quality clinical evidence supporting its utility as an autologous biological adjunct remains lacking. HYPOTHESIS: Subacromial bursa augmentation during arthroscopic RCR improves patient-reported outcomes and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-based tendon healing compared with standard repair. STUDY

designRandomized controlled trial; Level of evidence, 2.

methodsA total of 67 patients undergoing primary arthroscopic repair for full- or near-full-thickness supraspinatus tears were randomized to receive either standard repair (control; n = 34) or repair with minced subacromial bursa reimplantation (cases; n = 33). All patients underwent identical surgical repair constructs. Patient-reported outcomes (American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons [ASES], Simple Shoulder Test [SST], and PROMIS [Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System] Upper Extremity and Global scores) were collected at baseline and at multiple intervals up to 24 months. MRI was used to evaluate tendon integrity (Sugaya classification) and supraspinatus tendon thickness at a minimum of 6 months postoperatively. Generalized estimating equations and chi-square tests were used for longitudinal and categorical comparisons.

resultsPatient-reported outcomes improved significantly over time in both the control and augmentation groups. While no statistically significant between-group differences were observed overall, the bursa augmentation group demonstrated a higher Global score at 6 months (

conclusionIn this randomized clinical trial, subacromial bursa augmentation did not improve tendon healing or clinical outcomes after arthroscopic RCR. These results clearly reject the initial hypothesis that bursal augmentation enhances the healing of repair. While the procedure appeared safe and feasible, the absence of measurable benefit indicates that its routine clinical use cannot be supported at this time. REGISTRATION: NCT04634084 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier).

Indexed as

ArthroscopyBursa, SynovialRotator CuffRotator Cuff InjuriesAdultAgedFemaleHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMiddle AgedPatient Reported Outcome MeasuresProspective StudiesSelf ReportTreatment Outcomearthroscopic shoulder surgerybiologic augmentationconnective tissue progenitor cellsrotator cuff repairsubacromial bursa

Identifiers

PMID41549447
PMCPMC13359769

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Registered trials

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.