The purpose of this study is: 1) to identify relevant treatment outcomes for people with massive rotator cuff tears of the shoulder joint, according to the experience of the affected people, to facilitate treatment shared decision-making during the specialist consultation in Spain; 2) to compare the effectiveness of conservative treatment, arthroscopic decompressive surgery and reverse prosthesis, in terms of patient's relevant outcomes and health-related quality of life.
Primary Objectives: Phase 1 (Qualitative): 1. To explore the perceptions, believes, experiences and coping strategies that are relevant results for people undergoing treatment of massive rotator cuff tears. 2. To identify the relevant outcomes for people with massive rotator cuff tears, and their experiences with the shared-decision making process. Phase 2 (Quantitative): a) To compare the effectiveness of conservative treatment, arthroscopic decompressive surgery and reverse prosthesis, in terms of patient's relevant outcomes and health-related quality of life. Outline: Phase 1: A qualitative, interpretative, descriptive study with a hermeneutics phenomenological approach was conducted from an 'etic' (from phonetic) perspective. Through hermeneutical phenomenology it was intended to describe and understand the multiple meanings that people with massive rotator cuff tears give to their experience and the results they expect from their treatment. A theoretical sampling of maximum variation was carried out using a segmentation criterion, being the evaluation before or after the treatment in those patients who attended the visit of the specialist in Spain. Phase 2: This is a prospective observational study of a cohort with rotator massive cuff tears treated either with conservative treatment, arthroscopic decompressive surgery, or reverse prosthesis. Participants were consecutively recruited in 5 Spanish hospital departments (located in two autonomous communities). Patients eligible for inclusion were: age 65-85 years, without previous surgical treatment in the affected shoulder, and complete rupture of the rotator cuff tendons, verified by magnetic resonance imaging. Patients were excluded if they have a neurological injury and/or an active infection. Demographic and clinical characteristics at baseline are recorded at clinical sites and in the interview pretreatment, and include birthdate, sex, intervention, date of intervention, date of rehabilitation, chronic conditions, smoking status, employment status, and a question about the relevant outcome identified through the Phase 1. Quality of Life questionnaires are administered centrally by telephone interviews before treatment and during follow-up at 6, 12 and 24 months after treatment. Quality of Life evaluations are gathered using computer-assisted telephone administration and include: (1) the Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS); and (2) the EuroQol-5 Dimension (EQ-5D-5L). The sample size calculated to detect differences between groups (0.07 points in the EQ-5D-5L utility index, minimal important difference) was of 200 patients considering the three treatment groups, given a statistical power of at least 80% at a significance level of 5%, and lost to follow-up of 10%.
The rehabilitation is based on restoring the balance of the shoulder joint. Aiming to diminish pain and restore function, pain control and inflammation are addressed during the firsts 3-6 weeks. Before week 3, pendulum movements are allowed to initiate mobilization of the shoulder joint. Aiming to gain (almost) complete shoulder joint mobility, a passive and active mobility exercise program is carried out. Lastly, the focus is on muscle reinforcement, performing a series of active exercises with weights or bands to exercise different muscles of the shoulder or the shoulder girdle.
Arthroscopic decompression surgery of the rotator cuff tear consists of cleaning the subacromial space. The procedures that are sometimes performed to diminish pain may include, removing the inflamed bursa, releasing the long head of the biceps (if injured), or lightly burring the acromion bone under which the tendons slide.
Parc Taulí Hospital Universitari
Sabadell, Barcelona, Spain
Health Services Research Group, IMIM-Hospital del Mar Medical Research Institute
Barcelona, Spain
Hospital del Mar
Barcelona, Spain
Hospital Clínic
Barcelona, Spain
Relevant treatment outcome identified through the Phase 1 of the study.
"Fend for yourself" was identified in the Qualitative Phase as a relevant outcome. It was captured through a question before treatment: "To what extent are you able to fend for yourself".
Time frame: Before treatment
Change from baseline in relevant treatment outcome (identified through the Phase 1 of the study).
"Fend for yourself" was identified in the Qualitative Phase as a relevant outcome, and was captured through two questions: A) "To what extent were you able to fend for yourself before the injury?"; and B) "To what extent can you fend for yourself after treatment?".
Time frame: At 6, 12, and 24 months after treatment
Change in health-related quality of life measured with the Oxford Shoulder Score among shoulder treatments
The Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) is a 12-item instrument assessing the impact of shoulder treatments and their outcomes. Response options for each OSS item are on a 4-level Likert scale, which ranges from 0 to 48, where higher scores indicate better outcomes.
Time frame: Before and 6, 12, and 24 months after treatment
Quality-Adjusted Life Years measured with the EuroQol-5 Dimensions
The EuroQol-5D Dimensions (EQ-5D-5L) is a generic econometric instrument that contains five dimensions of health (mobility, self-care, usual activities, pain/discomfort, and anxiety/depression) with five levels of severity in each dimension. From the possible combinations of scales and severity levels (3125 health states), a utility index is obtained, which ranges from 1 (perfect health) to negative values, 0 being the value attributed to death.
Time frame: Before and 6, 12, and 24 months after treatment
Ability to carry out normal daily activities measured with the Constant-Murley Score
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Study Type
OBSERVATIONAL
Enrollment
200
The reverse prosthesis consists of shoulder articular joint replacement. The humeral head is sectioned, and, on the scapular side, a metal tray is placed, which is fixed with screws, and a metal half-sphere fixed to the metal tray. On the humeral side, a metal stem with a concave plastic component is placed to articulate with the metal half-sphere, allowing shoulder mobility without the need of rotator cuff muscles.
In the reverse prosthesis procedure and arthroscopic decompression surgery, the pain-relief medication plan is a standard regimen for all patients, which can be modified as needed. This plan is based on 50mg of dexketoprofeno, 1g of paracetamol, and 100mg of tramadol.
In the reverse prosthesis procedure, a Delta III reverse shoulder prosthesis is applied. The original design was developed by Grammont in 1980's, and has 2 components: 1) a metal tray fixed with screws, and a metal half-sphere fixed to the metal tray, and 2) a concave polyethylene component.
Hospital Universitario Fundación Jiménez Díaz
Madrid, Spain
Hospital Universitario La Paz
Madrid, Spain
The Constant-Murley score (CMS) is a 100-points scale composed of a number of individual parameters, which define the level of pain and the ability to carry out the normal daily activities of the patient. The test is divided into four subscales: pain (15 points), activities of daily living (20 points), strength (25 points) and range of motion: forward elevation, external rotation, abduction and internal rotation of the shoulder (40 points). The higher the score, the higher the quality of the function.
Time frame: Before and 6, 12, and 24 months after treatment