New stitching device aims to heal torn shoulder tendons better
NCT ID NCT06868108
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 26, 2026
Summary
This study tests a new flexible suturing system with anchors (FSSA) to repair full-thickness rotator cuff tears. About 100 people who have had this surgery will get an MRI one year later to check if the tendon has healed. The goal is to see if this device helps tendons heal more reliably.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Flexible Suturing System with Anchors (FSSA) device
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this device could improve tendon healing after rotator cuff surgery, potentially reducing re-tear rates and improving shoulder function.
- What could go wrong
- This is a single-arm study with no comparison group, so benefits may not be proven. Results depend on MRI findings at one year, and individual healing varies.
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.
- Participants
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About 100 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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Feb 2025
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2025
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.
Who is studied
An individual that underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff tear with the Flexible Suturing System with Anchors (FSSA).
- Ages
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18 to 70 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
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: Subjects MUST meet ALL the following criteria to be included in the study: 1. Underwent surgery to repair a torn rotator cuff tear with the Flexible Suturing System with Anchors (FSSA) and is able to obtain a follow-up MRI within 12 months +4 months / -1 month from the surgery date. 2. Tear size of the supraspinatus (SSP) with or without involvement of the infraspinatus (ISP), confirmed intra-operatively or with the pre-procedural MRI, is greater than or equal to 1 cm. 3. Between 18 and 70 years old at the time of surgery. 4. Able to understand the content of the subject information / Informed Consent Form (ICF) and is willing and able to participate in the prospective data collection protocol and comply with the required data collection. Exclusion Criteria: Subjects will be excluded from the study if they meet ANY of the following criteria: 1. Had a prior rotator cuff surgery on the index shoulder. 2. Has a subscapularis tear with a Lafosse score of 3 or greater, or a teres minor tear requiring repair. 3. Identified as being repaired in a hybrid approach, where a non-FSSA anchor is used in the case for SSP and/or ISP rotator cuff repair. 4. SSP and / or ISP tendon ruptures that are considered irreparable or only partially repairable at the time of the intervention. 5. At any time during the previous 18 months was involved in a workers compensation case or litigation related to bodily injury, whether related or unrelated to the index shoulder. 6. Has a history of chronic opioid use. 7. Subjects with condition(s) that contraindicate or complicate outcomes of ARCR such as: * Current or prior infection of the ipsilateral shoulder * Known inflammatory arthropathy or history of inflammatory arthropathy * Chronic joint disease * Concomitant labral fixation * Concomitant os acromial fixation * Glenohumeral joint instability (multiple dislocations/subluxations) * Subacromial or intra-articular injection within 3 months prior to surgery * Oral or injected steroid use in the following timeframe: 4 weeks prior to surgery through current date * Hamada 3 or greater rotator cuff arthropathy on X-ray * Goutallier atrophy \> Grade 3 * Proximal humeral fracture or scapular fracture * Avascular necrosis of humeral head or glenoid * Immunodeficiency disorders * Chronic inflammatory disorders * Osteoarthritis \>2 (Samilson-Prieto) 8. Has other concurrent medical or other conditions (chronic or acute in nature) that in the opinion of the participating investigator may prevent participation or otherwise render subject ineligible for the study. 9. Subjects who are unable to tolerate magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), due to psychiatric or medical contraindications.
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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
3 sites. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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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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Houston Methodist The Woodlands
The Woodlands, Texas, 77385, United States
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OrthoCarolina Research Institute
Charlotte, North Carolina, 28207, United States
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Texas Orthopedic Specialist
Bedford, Texas, 76021, 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