Latissimus dorsi transfer is an established treatment option with favorable results in massive, irreparable rotator cuff tears, however, it is controversial if earlier motion is detrimental or beneficial to the postoperative goal of reduced pain and improved clinical outcomes. Therefore, the aim of this study is to compare the effects of slow and accelerated rehabilitation protocols after latissimus dorsi transfer in massive, irreparable rotator cuff tears.
A variety of surgical options are proposed in the treatment of massive cuff tears. The treatment options include acromioplasty and tuberoplasty, partial repair with or without soft tissue augmentation, latissimus dorsi transfer (LDT), superior capsular reconstruction (SCR), and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. Among these options, LDT is a well-recognized technique that aims to rebalance the soft tissue tension around the shoulder joint in order to prevent superior escape of the humeral head and loss of function. From a biomechanical standpoint, the transferred tendon is theorized to function as a humeral head depressor by means of a tenodesis effect, as well as by increasing the active external rotation through the transfer vector. It is an established treatment option with favorable results, however, it is controversial if earlier motion is detrimental or beneficial to the postoperative goal of reduced pain and improved clinical outcomes. Therefore, the aim of this study is to compare the effects of slow and accelerated rehabilitation protocols after latissimus dorsi transfer in massive, irreparable rotator cuff tears.
Study Type
INTERVENTIONAL
Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
SINGLE
Enrollment
38
After randomization and initial evaluations, patients will be referred to Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation clinics for a 8-week-long Phase 2 and Phase 3 trainings.
After randomization and initial evaluations, patients will be referred to Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation clinics for a 14-week-long Phase 2 and Phase 3 trainings.
Kırşehir Ahi Evran University
Kırşehir, Turkey (Türkiye)
RECRUITINGVisual analog scale
Visual analog scale is a validated, subjective measure for acute and chronic pain. Scores are recorded by making a handwritten mark on a 10-cm line that represents a continuum between "no pain" and "worst pain."
Time frame: 14 weeks
The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire
The Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand Questionnaire is a self-administered region-specific outcome instrument developed as a measure of self-rated upper-extremity disability and symptoms. It consists mainly of a 30-item disability/symptom scale, scored 0 (no disability) to 100.
Time frame: 14 weeks
American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score
It is a 100-point scale that consists of two dimensions: pain and activities of daily living. There is one pain scale worth 50 points and ten activities of daily living worth 50 points. Patients can complete the questionnaire in less than five minutes. Scores range from 0 to 100 with a score of 0 indicating a worse shoulder condition and 100 indicating a better shoulder condition.
Time frame: 14 weeks
Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index
It has 21 items in four domains, including physical symptoms (ten questions), sports/recreation/work (four questions), lifestyle (four questions) and emotions (three questions). Raw scores range from 0 to 2100 with a higher score indicating decreased quality of life due to pathological condition of the rotator cuff. Mathematic conversion yields a percentage score; higher percentages indicate proximity to normal function.
Time frame: 14 weeks
Constant-Murley Shoulder Score
Its score ranges from 0 to 100 points, representing worst and best shoulder function, respectively. In the original publication, the pain experienced during normal activities of daily living was scored as: no pain = 15 points, mild = 10, moderate = 5 and severe = 0 points.
Time frame: 14 weeks
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Catastrophizing
Pain Catastrophizing Scale will be used to evaluate the patient's feelings, thoughts, and emotions related to cognitive characteristics of pain. It is a self-administered questionnaire with 13 items and 3 subscales: helplessness, magnification, and rumination. A 5-point scale is used for each item, with higher values representing greater catastrophizing. The scores for each item are added to determine the subscales, and the total score is calculated by the summation of all items. The PCS scores range from 0 to 52 points.
Time frame: 14 weeks
Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale
It will be used to assess anxiety and depression. It consists of 7 items for anxiety and 7 for depression. The items are scored on a 4-point scale from 0 (not present) to 3 (considerable).
Time frame: 14 weeks
Tampa-Scale of Kinesiophobia
Participants will be assessed with Tampa-Scale of Kinesiophobia in terms of presence of kinesiophobia. The TSK is a 17-item scale that measures the somatic focus of patients (beliefs about underlying and serious medical problems), and activity avoidance (beliefs about (re) injury or increased pain). The TSK has moderate construct, concurrent and predictive validity, good internal consistency, and a moderate to good retest reliability. Patients scoring high on the TSK, above 37 points, are likely to have fear of movement.
Time frame: 14 weeks
12-Item Short-Form Health Survey
Participants will be assessed with 12-Item Short-Form Health Survey in terms of quality of life. It is a self-administered survey and two scores can be measured: the Physical Component and the Mental Component. In both, scores range from 0 to 100, with the highest scores associated with better levels of quality of life.
Time frame: 14 weeks