Patrick DenardDirector Oregon Shoulder Fellowship, Oregon Shoulder Institute · Director Oregon Shoulder Fellowship at Oregon Shoulder Institute

Three Additional Ways to Improve Rotator Cuff Healing

15 Jan 2026 · 1 min

Watch on YouTube

0:55

In this concise video, the presenter outlines three actionable strategies for patients undergoing rotator cuff repair who want to maximize healing. First, he recommends adding platelet‑rich plasma (PRP) to the repair, noting that while it is typically not covered by insurance, many centers allow out‑of‑pocket payment and that PRP can improve healing odds by roughly 10%. Second, he suggests considering surgical augmentation—various graft or scaffold options that can be added to the repair; again, these are usually self‑paid, but in certain cases augmentation can be the deciding factor between successful healing and failure, and most surgeons would use more augmentation if cost were not an issue. Third, he advises seeking a surgeon who exclusively performs shoulder surgery, citing data across specialties that outcomes are superior when the procedure is done by a dedicated shoulder specialist. The overall tone is practical and encouraging, aimed at patients or caregivers looking for ways to “throw the kitchen sink” at their upcoming surgery.

Chapters

Having a rotator cuff repair and want to throw the kitchen sink at it to optimize healing? Here are 3 things that you can do. Number 1, add platelet-rich plasma. Not covered by insurance, but many centers will allow you to pay for this. You can improve your chances of healing by about 10%. Number 2, consider augmentation. There's a lot of options out there. Again, not covered by insurance, but many centers will allow you to pay for this. And in certain cases, augmentation can be the difference between healing and not healing. If you ask most surgeons, they would do more augmentation if cost was not a factor. And number 3, if you have the means, go find somebody who just does shoulder surgery. Data across multiple specialties shows that outcomes are better in the hands of somebody that just does that particular field. So if you're having a rotator cuff repair and want to throw the kitchen sink at it, these are 3 options that can help you get through that surgery and improve your chances of healing. Or if you know somebody that's having a repair coming up, send this to them.