ReviewJBJS reviews2026
Limited Clinical Benefit of the Subacromial Balloon Spacer in Massive Irreparable Rotator Cuff Tears: A Comprehensive Review of Clinical Outcomes and Cost-Effectiveness.
Review in JBJS reviews, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.
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.
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.
Who cites it
0 citing papers in PubMed.
No citing paper in PubMed yet.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
6 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
» Subacromial balloon spacer (SBS) implantation has been proposed as a minimally invasive treatment for massive irreparable rotator cuff tears (MIRCTs), particularly in elderly patients with preserved glenohumeral articulation and limited functional demands.» Across observational studies, SBS has been associated with short to midterm improvements in pain and shoulder function, reflected by increases in ASES and Constant-Murley scores.» Evidence from randomized controlled trials is mixed; the SPACE trial showed SBS is noninferior to partial repair, while the START:REACTS trial found it less effective than debridement alone.» Complications are uncommon and primarily include balloon migration, synovitis, and rare infections, supporting SBS's safety profile when patient selection is appropriate.» Based on current high-level evidence, SBS is not recommended for routine treatment of MIRCT. Its use should be restricted to carefully selected elderly patients with chronic, nonarthritic MIRCT who are poor candidates for other reconstructive procedures.
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