Shoulder Surgery Traditional vs Accelerated Rehabilitation Trial v1.0
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Traditional versus accelerated rehabilitation programmes following double-row rotator cuff repair: A randomised trial to compare patient outcomes and structural failure rates.
IRAS ID
231862
Contact name
Christopher Peach
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN27389669
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
After keyhole surgery for a torn rotator cuff tendon in the shoulder, patients are typically given a sling to wear for up to six weeks. This is thought to protect the repair while it heals, but can result in stiffness and muscle weakness since shoulder movement is restricted during the recovery period. There is then a prolonged period of physiotherapy to regain movement and strength in the shoulder.
Previous studies have shown that modern tendon repair techniques are more secure than traditional repairs. It may therefore be unnecessary to immobilise patients in a sling after surgery. Reducing sling use may reduce postoperative stiffness and weakness, avoiding the inconvenience of prolonged sling use. A number of key research priorities for shoulder surgery have been agreed by experts and lay persons. One relates to the influence of earlier mobilisation following shoulder surgery, which we would like to address.
Our study will involve patients who are having keyhole surgery to repair their torn rotator cuff tendons. If the surgeon achieves a secure repair, patients will be randomly allocated to traditional rehabilitation or accelerated rehabilitation. Traditional rehabilitation will require use of a sling for 4-6 weeks, and those in the accelerated group will be asked to wear it for comfort, for up to 1 week. Over the following 12 months, we shall assess patients’ outcomes using standard outcome scores (e.g. Oxford Shoulder Score) and measure their range of movement. We shall also perform a scan of their shoulder after 6 months to determine whether the tendon has healed to see whether accelerated rehabilitation affects healing.
We hope to show that earlier movement results in better outcomes for patients after rotator cuff repair.
REC name
West of Scotland REC 5
REC reference
19/WS/0008
Date of REC Opinion
1 Apr 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion