The Effect of Blood Flow Restriction Therapy on Shoulder Function Following Shoulder Stabilization Surgery: A Case Series.
John H McGinniss, John S Mason, Jamie B Morris and 3 others
PMID 36873568WHAT IT FOUND
Military cadets improved shoulder strength, self-reported function, and range of motion after surgery plus standard rehabilitation, including manual therapy and home exercises, and six weeks of blood flow restriction.
No control group, so BFR cannot be credited.
Key findings
01Surgical shoulder strength improved over time, with most participants reaching clinically meaningful gains from six to 12 weeks.
02Patient-reported shoulder function improved over time, with clinically meaningful gains from six to 12 weeks.
03At the 6-month assessment, only three of 18 participants met all performance-test criteria and had 90% limb symmetry for each strength measure.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
There was no control group or randomisation, so observed improvements could be due to time, natural healing, or standard rehabilitation rather than blood flow restriction. The sample was small and limited to young military cadets, so it may not apply to older, less active, or civilian patients. A single physical therapist provided treatment and assessments, and manual therapy and home exercise programs were tailored, which could confound the effect of blood flow restriction. Not all participants completed every assessment: 18 completed all follow-up assessments, with two graduating before the six-month evaluation. Five participants needed limb occlusion pressure reduced from 50% to 40% because of discomfort, so the planned pressure was not always tolerated.
Declared interests
The authors declared no relevant or material financial interests. They also stated that the opinions are their private views and not official views of the United States Army or Department of Defense.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that blood flow restriction caused the shoulder improvements. This was an uncontrolled case series in which every participant also received standard rehabilitation, including manual therapy and home exercises, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated.