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Supervised strengthening exercises versus home-based movement exercises after arthroscopic acromioplasty: a
Theresa Holmgren1, Birgitta Oberg, Irene Sjöberg
1Departement of Medical health Sciences, Division of Physiotherapy, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden. theresa.holmgren@liu.se
Objective:
To evaluate and compare the efficacy of 2 rehabilitation strategies after arthroscopic acromioplasty: supervised physical therapy focusing on strengthening exercises of the rotator cuff and scapula stabilizers (PT-group) vs home-based movement exercises (H-group).
Design:
A randomized, single-blinded, clinically controlled study.
Patients:
Thirty-six patients entered the study. Thirteen in the PT-group and 16 in the H-group fulfilled all the assessments.
Methods:
For 12 weeks following surgery, patients performed either supervised physical therapy or home exercises. Follow-ups were conducted periodically for 6 months after surgery to evaluate shoulder function, pain (Constant-Murley (CM) and Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) scores), and health-related quality of life.
Results:
The PT-group exhibited significantly greater improvements in CM (p =0.02) and DASH (p=0.05) scores. After treatment, the between-group mean difference in CM scores was 14.2 p (95% confidence interval 2-26). At the 6-month follow-up, the between-group mean difference in DASH scores was 13.4 p (95% confidence interval 0.1-23).
Conclusion:
PT-supervised rehabilitation with strengthening exercises of the rotator cuff and scapula stabilizers seems to be superior to home exercises focusing on mobility for improving shoulder function after arthroscopic acromioplasty.