Rehabilitation following rotator cuff repair: A nested qualitative study exploring the perceptions and experiences of participants in a randomised controlled trial.
Gareth Stephens, Chris Littlewood, Nadine E Foster and 1 others
PMID 33356517WHAT IT FOUND
Most patients found keeping a sling for four weeks after rotator cuff repair difficult, affecting sleep and daily tasks.
Many preferred early removal. Clinicians felt conflicted about early movement due to fears of damaging the repair. Patients were unhappy that ultrasound scan results were not shared.
Key findings
01Patients described the four-week sling as a barrier to adherence due to discomfort, sleep issues, and loss of independence.
02Healthcare practitioners experienced tension and anxiety about the early patient-directed rehabilitation intervention, fearing it might compromise the surgical repair.
03Participants were disgruntled by the concealment of research-related ultrasound scan results, despite the process being explained during consent.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
This is a nested qualitative study from a pilot trial, so the findings may not be representative of the wider population of patients or clinicians. The study focused on perceptions and experiences rather than clinical outcomes or effectiveness. Recruitment relied on patients who consented to further contact, potentially introducing bias. Only a small number of patients and practitioners were interviewed, although data saturation was reported.
Declared interests
The study was funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). The authors declared no conflicts of interest. The funders had no involvement in study design, data collection, analysis, or writing.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret these findings as evidence that early patient-directed rehabilitation is clinically superior or safer than standard care. This study reports perceptions and experiences from a small pilot, not clinical outcomes like re-tear rates or pain scores.