Group physiotherapy versus standard care physiotherapy following RCR

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  Group physiotherapy versus standard care physiotherapy following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: A pilot study using a randomised trial

• IRAS ID

  131497

• Contact name

  Abebaw Yohannes

• Contact email

  a.yohannes@mmu.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  Manchester Metroplitan University

• Research summary

  Physiotherapists routinely treat patients following rotator cuff repair (RCR) surgery to help restore normal function to the shoulder. As more patients are having surgery we are concerned they may have to wait longer for physiotherapy treatment. One way to ease this problem would be to have physiotherapy treatment in a group setting. We are interested to see whether group physiotherapy in a gymnasium could provide equal outcomes to standard care physiotherapy.
  The outcome of the study may have a potential to influence future service delivery providing RCR patients with effective, evidence based physiotherapy delivered without delay. It may lead to future research investigating cost effectiveness benefiting both public and patients in the future with a timely cost effective service.
  Eligible participants will have undergone arthroscopic rotator cuff repair surgery under one surgeon, from a teaching hospital in North West England. The study will take place in the physiotherapy department at the same hospital in two distinct settings; the physiotherapy gym and the physiotherapy out-patient department; taking up to two years to complete.
  Consenting participants will be assessed by a physiotherapist at two weeks post operation where baseline measurements will be taken and standardised advice and exercises will be provided. They will attend a four week usual care programme and during the follow up sessions exercises will be progressed and reassessed with the outcome measurements, accordingly. They will then be randomly assigned to one of two groups. Treatment in both groups will begin separately at six weeks. In the gym group patients will progress through an eight week phased gym programme, attending once weekly 30 minutes sessions. In the standard group treatment may consist of exercises, manual therapy, electrotherapy and acupuncture; demonstrating normal clinical practice. They will also attend up to eight 30 minutes sessions. Outcomes measures will be reassessed on completion

• REC name

  North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee

• REC reference

  13/NW/0665

• Date of REC Opinion

  24 Oct 2013

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion