Shoulder Stability Training and Functional Recovery After Posterior Cervical Laminoplasty: A Retrospective Cohort...

This retrospective cohort study investigated the association between adding a phased shoulder stability training program to conventional rehabilitation and postoperative functional recovery in patients undergoing posterior cervical laminoplasty for cervical radiculopathy. Eighty-one patients were included and divided into an observation group (n = 40), which received phased shoulder stability training in addition to standard 12-week postoperative rehabilitation, and a control group (n = 41), which received standard rehabilitation alone. Cervical spine function, shoulder function, and neck-shoulder pain were evaluated using the Japanese Orthopedic Association (JOA) score, Constant-Murley score, and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) before surgery and at 6 and 12 weeks postoperatively. Repeated-measures analysis of variance was performed to assess between-group differences, time effects, and group-by-time interactions. Baseline characteristics and preoperative functional scores were comparable between groups (P > 0.05). Significant group-by-time interactions were observed for JOA, Constant-Murley, and VAS scores (all P < 0.001). Compared with conventional rehabilitation alone, phased shoulder stability training was associated with greater improvements in cervical spine and shoulder function at both follow-up time points and significantly greater reductions in neck and shoulder pain (P < 0.05). These findings suggest that incorporating phased shoulder stability training into conventional postoperative rehabilitation is associated with improved short-term functional recovery and pain relief following posterior cervical laminoplasty. Because of the retrospective study design and historical cohort comparison, prospective randomized controlled trials with larger sample sizes, objective functional assessments, and longer follow-up are needed to confirm these findings.