Is early passive motion exercise necessary after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair?

EvidenceUpdates, 2012

Is early passive motion exercise necessary after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair? , , , , , .
Abstract BACKGROUND: Early passive motion exercise has been the standard rehabilitation protocol after rotator cuff repair for preventing postoperative stiffness.
PURPOSE: To elucidate whether early passive motion exercise affects functional outcome and tendon healing after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.
METHODS: One hundred five consecutive patients who underwent arthroscopic repair for small to medium-sized full-thickness rotator cuff tears were included.
Patients were instructed to wear an abduction brace for 4 to 5 weeks after surgery and to start active-assisted shoulder exercise after brace weaning.
Fifty-six patients were randomly allocated into group 1: early passive motion exercises were conducted 3 to 4 times per day during the abduction brace-wearing period.
Forty-nine patients were allocated into group 2: no passive motion was allowed during the same period.
Range of motion (ROM) and visual analog scale (VAS) for pain were measured preoperatively and 3, 6, and 12 months postoperatively.
Functional evaluations, including Constant score, Simple Shoulder Test (SST), and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) score, were also evaluated at 6 and 12 months postoperatively.
Ultrasonography, magnetic resonance imaging, or computed tomography arthrography was utilized to evaluate postoperative cuff healing.