Adult mesenchymal stem cells for the treatment in patients with rotator cuff disease: present and future direction

Rotator cuff tendon tear (RCTT) is reported to be one of the most common causes of chronic shoulder pain in the United States with more than 250,000 RCTT repairs each year (1). Individuals under 60 years of age show a 6% incidence of full-thickness RCTT, while those over 60 show an incidence of 30%, as determined by cadaveric studies (2). RCTT results in considerable disability and diminished quality of life for many patients (3).