Predicting the outcome of conservative treatment with physiotherapy for shoulder pain in the presence of atraumatic partial-thickness tears of the rotator cuff

• Conditions: M75.1; Rotator cuff syndrome

• Registration Number: DRKS00004462
• Lead Sponsor: Teesside University, School of Health and Social Care

Brief Summary

Not available

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2014-04-08
• Study Completion: 2015-01-16
• Last Update Posted: 19 August 2024

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: Complete
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 70

Inclusion Criteria

Inclusion:
•Patients with (local) shoulder pain in the presence of an atraumatic (ultrasonographically detected) partial thickness rotator cuff tear (PTT)
•Clinical signs of shoulder impingement (e.g. painful arc, positive impingement signs (e.g. Hawkins-Kennedy))
•Adults ( = 18 years)
•No restrictions on gender
•Agreement on conservative (i.e. non-surgical) treatment
•Ability to speak and comprehend the German language
•Agreement to participate (signed informed consent)
•Anticipated availability for follow-up (living in area of Hamburg)
•Agreement to physiotherapy in one of the collaborating practices.

Exclusion Criteria

Exclusion:
•Presence of a full thickness rotator cuff tear (FTT) at the affected shoulder
•Previous substantial shoulder trauma (e.g. shoulder dislocation)
•Previous surgery for the affected shoulder
•Previous surgery in the shoulder area that may be causal of or contributory to the current problem (e.g. surgery for breast cancer)
•Clinical or (if available) radiological evidence of structural joint pathology
•Significantly restricted passive range of movement (ROM) at the affected shoulder (‘capsulitis-type disorders’); current shoulder infection
•Clinical signs of symptomatic acromioclavicular arthritis (e.g. local tenderness, positive provocation tests, e.g. ‘Cross-Body Adduction Stress’ test)
•Calcific tendinitis
•Ultrasonographic evidence of Long Head of Biceps (LHB) tendon subluxation/ dislocation
•Referred pain from the cervical spine region
•‘Multisite musculoskeletal pain’
•Systemic diseases or comorbidities as potential sources of (the current) shoulder pain (e.g. breast cancer, rheumatoid disease), or as impairing treatment (e.g. cancer, cardiac insufficiencies)
•Neurological disorders or deficits as potential sources of (the current) shoulder pain or impairing assessment and treatment (e.g. hemiplegic shoulder)
•Worker’s compensation claims
•Unwillingness or inability to give informed consent (e.g. cognitive or intellectual impairments)

Study & Design

• Study Type: observational
• Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Patient-reported Health-related Quality of Life (HrQoL)/disability as measured through the validated German version of the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index (WORC; Huber et al. 2005); assessment: end of observation period (regular follow-up assessment).

Secondary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
- Patient-reported perception of perceived change as measured by a Likert-type Global perceiced change scale<br>- Progression of the rotator cuff tear from partial to full-thickness as assessed by ultrasonography; assessment: end of observation period.