Clinical Research Directory

Shoulder Surgery Traditional vs Accelerated Rehabilitation Trial

This is a randomised controlled trial involving patients who have a double-row arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Null hypothesis: There is no difference in outcome between standard rehabilitation and accelerated rehabilitation after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Following surgery, they will be randomised to one of two groups: 1. Standard rehabilitation, with enforced sling use for 6 weeks and a structured exercise programme. 2. Accelerated rehabilitation with no requirement to use a sling and a structured exercise programme. The primary outcome measure will be the Oxford Shoulder Score at 6 months. We will also collect data on postoperative pain, range of shoulder movement and other subjective outcome measures. All patients will have MRI scans at 6 months postoperatively to assess the integrity of the repair, allowing comparison of failure rates between groups.