The Effects of Early Mobilization on Rotator Cuff Tears: A Meta Analysis

The Effects of Early Mobilization on Rotator Cuff Tears: A Meta Analysis

Alvin Sherman Library

The purpose of this research is to assess post-surgical early mobilization of the rotator cuff compared to conservative treatment and the impact on return-to-participation. BACKGROUND: Rotator cuff tears are common upper-body injuries in sports such as baseball, volleyball, and handball, requiring surgical intervention in 21% of reported rotator cuff tears among volleyball players, and often dependent on tear size and severity of tear among athletes. Although, some post-surgical rehabilitation programs may provide quicker return-to-participation times compared to others, further research may provide insight into the impact of early mobilization. (P:) Rotator cuff patients looking for effective and prompt postoperative rehabilitation treatment, (I:) does implementation of an early mobilization rehabilitation program compared to (C:) a conservative treatment rehabilitation program (O:) lead to a faster return-to participation by improving range of motion and strength compared to conservative rehabilitation? Early mobilization includes early mobility intervention postoperatively, in hopes to increase range of motion and begin rotator cuff strengthening earlier in the postoperative care window compared to conservative rehabilitation treatment. Research among postoperative rehabilitation shows significant ROM improvements for EM participants compared to conservative treatment when using the Constant-Murley Score system at 3-, and 6-month postoperative visits, as well as less pain experienced by the EM group compared to the conservative groups.