New scaffold aims to stop rotator cuff repairs from failing
NCT ID NCT05997381
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tests whether adding a BioBrace® implant during rotator cuff surgery helps the tendon heal better and reduces the chance of re-tearing. About 268 adults aged 40–70 with full-thickness tears will be randomly assigned to get surgery with or without the implant. The main goal is to see if the implant lowers the retear rate at 6 months, as seen on MRI.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- BioBrace® implant (a bioresorbable scaffold that reinforces the repaired tendon)
- What this could lead to
- If it works, this implant could lower the chance of the rotator cuff tearing again after surgery, helping people recover more fully.
- What could go wrong
- This is a mid-stage trial, so results are not yet proven. The implant may not reduce retear rates and could carry surgical risks like infection or poor healing.
Why investors are watching
Conmed is running a pivotal trial of its BioBrace implant for rotator cuff repair, comparing it against standard surgery alone in 268 patients. For a small-cap company, this readout is a major event because a positive result could support broader use of the implant and drive revenue growth. A negative or delayed result would hurt the company's prospects in this product line.
If it works: If the trial shows BioBrace improves healing or reduces re-tear rates, Conmed could gain a competitive edge in the shoulder repair market and see increased adoption of the implant. That could strengthen the company's position and support future sales.
If it fails: If the trial fails to show a clear benefit, or if safety issues emerge, Conmed may face setbacks in marketing BioBrace and could lose credibility with surgeons. Clinical trials often fail, so investors should treat this outcome as a real possibility.
AI-written from the trial record. Speculative, and not investment advice.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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About 268 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Jan 2024
- Expected to finish
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Jun 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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A company
The lead sponsor is a pharmaceutical, biotech, or medical-device company.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
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40 to 70 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: 1. Male or female 40 to 70 years old 2. Positive diagnostic imaging by MRI within 6 months of enrollment of the index shoulder indicating a full thickness rotator cuff tear (RCT): 1. Tear of the supraspinatus and/or infraspinatus tendons 2. Tear size ≥ 2 cm and \< 5 cm 3. Chronic shoulder pain ≥ 3 months 4. Failed non-operative treatment of the index shoulder to include one or all of the following: 1. Oral analgesics 2. Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDs) 3. Corticosteroid injections 4. Activity modifications 5. Physical therapy or home-guided exercises 5. Able to read and understand the study REB/IRB approved Informed Consent Form (ICF) 6. Willing to be available to attend each protocol-required follow-up examination Intraoperative Inclusion Criteria: 1. Full thickness tear of the supraspinatus and/or infraspinatus tendons 2. Tear size ≥ 2 cm and \< 5 cm 3. Able to reapproximate the tendons to cover \> 50% of the footprint on the greater tuberosity Exclusion Criteria: 1. Previous surgery of the index shoulder one year prior to the study surgery excluding diagnostic arthroscopy 2. Fatty infiltration of the index shoulder rotator cuff muscle ≥ Grade 3 (Goutallier Score) 3. Major medical condition that could affect quality of life and influence the results of the study as determined by the Investigator 4. Oral steroid use or steroid injection within 6 weeks prior to surgery 5. Active smoker 6. History of insulin-dependent diabetes 7. Documented evidence of a history (e.g., liver testing) of drug/alcohol abuse within 12 months of enrollment 8. Hypersensitivity to any investigational device materials including collagen of animal origin (bovine type-I), poly-L-lactic acid (PLLA) or polyethylene glycol (PEG) 9. Presence of an implanted metallic device or other implants that would contraindicate acquisition or inhibit radiologist review of an MRI of the index shoulder 10. History of claustrophobia that would prevent an MRI of the index shoulder 11. Females of child-bearing potential who are either pregnant or breastfeeding or plan to become pregnant during the course of the study 12. Currently participating, or plans to enroll in another clinical trial during this study that would affect the outcomes of this study as determined by the Investigator 13. History of non-compliance with medical treatment or clinical trial participation 14. The subject is physically or mentally compromised (e.g., currently being treated for a psychiatric disorder, senile dementia, Alzheimer's disease, etc.), to the extent that the Investigator judges the subject to be unable or unlikely to remain compliant with protocol required follow-up 15. Any comorbidity or condition that renders the patient a poor surgical candidate as determined by the Investigator 16. The subject is receiving prescription narcotic pain medication 17. The subject currently has an acute infection in the area surrounding the surgical site 18. Contralateral shoulder condition where rotator cuff repair is scheduled or to be scheduled over the course of this study 19. The subject's condition represents a worker's compensation case Intraoperative Exclusion Criteria: 1\. Subject requires subscapularis repair other than a repair with a single anchor
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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ConMed
RECRUITINGNew Haven, Connecticut, 06513, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Brain signals and resilience: the hidden side of rotator cuff recovery
- MRI and biomarkers may predict rotator cuff repair success
- Can targeted nerve blocks ease shoulder surgery pain?
- Can treating the mind heal the shoulder? a surgery study investigates
- New anchors aim to keep shoulders and hips stable after injury
- Patch aims to cut rotator cuff Re-Tear rate after surgery