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Updated: Jan 11, 2026
Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty
Published on: July 5, 2011
Physiotherapy Intervention on the Improvement of Postsurgical Outcomes in Patients With Reverse Total Shoulder
María Del Carmen Martín-Molina, Laura Ramírez-Pérez1, Antonio Ignacio Cuesta-Vargas
1Department of Physiotherapy, University of Málaga, The Institute of Biomedical Research in Málaga (IBIMA), Clinimetric Group F-14, Málaga, Spain.
Objective:
The aim of the study was to analyze the most current evidence to evaluate the effectiveness of physiotherapy interventions in improving postsurgical functional outcomes in patients who had undergone reverse total shoulder arthroplasty.
Design:
This systematic review was conducted by searching the PubMed and Embase databases and selecting studies including subjects who had undergone postsurgical rehabilitation after reverse total shoulder arthroplasty.
Results:
Nine studies were selected with a total sample size of 394 patients followed during a period that varies between 3 and 24 months. All studies indicated substantial functional improvement in patients after a physiotherapy program. Regarding the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons scale, the multimodal physiotherapy intervention based on kinesiotherapy plus strengthening showed a small to moderate effect size (Cohen d = 0.47-0.56). This clinical relevance was very strong (Cohen d = 2.35) in the only study that included a detailed load progression together with functional activities. Furthermore, early intervention has been demonstrated to be effective with a moderate effect size (Cohen d = 0.52).
Conclusions:
The current evidence may confirm that an intervention based on early motion and strength exercise seems to be beneficial in functionality and range of motion in patients with reverse total shoulder arthroplasty.
