Determining the Level to Affect of Physical Findings and Outcome Measures on Functional Status in Partial-Thickness...

Area of Science:

• Orthopedics
• Physical Therapy
• Rehabilitation Medicine

Background:

• Functional status is crucial for patients with partial-thickness rotator cuff tears (PRCT).
• Identifying key physical findings and outcome measures impacting function is essential for effective treatment and management.
• Understanding the predictive power of pain, range of motion (ROM), disability, and quality of life is vital for PRCT patients.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the determinant and predictive effects of pain, shoulder ROM, disability, and health-related quality of life on functional status in individuals with PRCT.
• To analyze which specific parameters significantly influence the functional outcomes of patients diagnosed with partial-thickness rotator cuff tears.

Main Methods:

• Assessed functional status, activity/night pain (Numeric Pain Rating Scale), shoulder ROM (goniometer), disability (Quick Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder & Hand Questionnaire), and quality of life (Short Form-12) in 45 PRCT patients.
• Employed multiple regression analysis to determine the predictive significance of various factors on functional status.
• Evaluated active flexion, abduction, and external rotation ROM values.

Main Results:

• Multiple regression analysis revealed that the evaluated determinants explained 76% of the variance in functional status (R square = 0.760, p < 0.001).
• Shoulder flexion (β = 0.54, p < 0.001) and external rotation ROM (β = 0.38, p = 0.001), along with disability level (β = 0.44, p < 0.001), were significant predictors of functional status.
• Activity/night pain, abduction ROM, and health-related quality of life domains did not show statistically significant correlations with functional status (p > 0.05).

Conclusions:

• Shoulder flexion and external rotation ROMs and disability level significantly predict functional status in individuals with PRCT.
• Subjective measures like pain and quality of life demonstrated no predictive effect on functionality in this cohort.
• Findings guide the development of reliable assessment algorithms for PRCT patients, highlighting the importance of objective ROM and disability measures.