The clinical effect of comprehensive rehabilitation therapy after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair using suture-bridge technique for full-thickness rotator cuff tears / 中华物理医学与康复杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate and analyze the clinical effect of comprehensive rehabilitation therapy after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair using suture-bridge technique for full-thickness rotator cuff tears.Methods Forty-one patients (20 males,21 females; mean age 52.2 years) with full-thickness rotator cuff tears were treated with arthroscopic rotator cuff repair using suture-bridge technique between June 2010 and January 2012 in our hospital.After arthroscopic rotator cuff repair,the patients were randomly assigned to a treatment group (21 patients) or a control group (20 patients).The treatment group received systematic rehabilitation therapy including rehabilitation education,physical modalities treatment and rehabilitative training additionally,while the control group only accepted the routine rehabilitation therapy including stretching and muscle strength training.The outcome was evaluated at 6 months after surgery,by employing visual analogae scale (VAS),the range of motion (ROM) testing of shoulder joint flexion and rotation,the rating scale of University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA),and the shoulder index of American shoulder and elbow surgeons (ASES).Results The mean follow-up period was 15.6 months (8-24 months).Prior to intervention,there was no significant difference in any parameter between the two groups (P ＞ 0.05).Six months later,all scores of assessments changedin treatment group VAS (1.7 ± 1.5),ROM [flexion (168.3±31.3)°,rotation (47.2±11.2)°],UCLA(30.7 ±4.13) and ASES (85.1 ±15.67); in control group VAS(3.8±2.2),ROM[flexion (121.2 ±53.6)°,rotation (32.9 ±14.9)°],UCLA(18.3 ±4.94) and ASES (36.4 ± 17.70).Significant changes occurred in both groups in all the parameters after treatment when compare to baseline (P ＜ 0.05).Conclusions Comprehensive rehabilitation therapy is an effective approach for improving motor ability of the shoulder in patients after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair with suture-bridge technique for their full-thickness rotator cuff tears.