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Traditionally, the rotator cuff was repaired by making large skin incisions and cutting through un-injured muscles to reach the deep rotator cuff tears. Recent advancements in minimally invasive shoulder surgery have allowed arthroscopic techniques to perform rotator cuff repairs through small poke holes around the shoulder instead of damaging normal tissue with large incisions.

"The Graft Jacket reconstruction is the next step in the evolution of minimally invasive rotator cuff surgery and it gives us an option in patients who may have been told that their tear was irreparable in the past," said Dr. Bernardini. "It provides a useful tool in the case of a patient with a massive tear that may be too large to repair with standard arthroscopic or open techniques."

The cutting-edge procedure is currently performed at very few centers around the country. Dr. Brad Bernardini is the first surgeon in the region to perform the augmentation technique, and the only one to perform it entirely arthroscopic in the Tri-State area. The Graft Jacket® should be considered in those patients that have large or massive tears, a smaller tear with severely degenerated tissues and in revision situations for failed rotator cuff repairs. Dr. Bernardini believes that this will be a tremendous benefit to patients as the technique becomes more widespread. In fact, he intends to train other Orthopaedic surgeons in the technique and is currently involved in education as an Associate Masters Instructor at the Orthopaedic Learning Center in Chicago, IL. The center provides a hands-on learning environment for Orthopaedic surgeons who are looking to learn new surgical procedures.

 Dr. Bernardini is in his third year of practice and is a dedicated Arthroscopic and Sports Medicine Surgeon specializing in injuries to the knee and shoulder.  He also utilizes arthroscopic techniques in other joints such as the elbow, wrist, ankle and hip.  His arthroscopic training was performed at the University of Connecticut, which is world renowned for its advanced research in the area of musculoskeletal repairs and reconstructions. Dr. Bernardini also completed an additional year of sports medicine training and specialized arthroscopic techniques at the Taos Orthopedic Institute in Taos, NM.  

Dr. Bernardini has been published in his field and has been honored for academic achievement.  An ex-collegiate athlete and a sports team enthusiast, he has served as team physician for multiple area teams and as head physician for the South Jersey Lynx Football Team, as well as an active member of the United States Ski and Snowboard Physician Pool Program and an Orthopedic consultant for the WWE. He is a board certified member of the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons, the Arthroscopy Association of North America, the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine and the International Society of Arthroscopy, Knee Surgery and Orthopedic Sports Medicine.