Prehabilitation Before Surgery: A Strategy To Accelerate Recovery After Rotator Cuff Repair?

NCT07820592 | Enrolling By Invitation DMC

• 1 other identifier: PREHAB-MR
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 30
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

A rotator cuff tear is a structural injury to one or more tendons of the rotator cuff, ranging from degenerative changes to partial or complete tears. Rotator cuff tears are among the most common causes of shoulder pain and disability, particularly in middle-aged and older adults, and their prevalence increases with age. Population studies report a prevalence of complete tears around 20% to 22%, while in cohorts of individuals over 70 years of age, it can exceed 50%. The risk of tearing is associated with advanced age, dominant arm involvement, trauma, heavy labor, and male sex.

Conditions

Rotator Cuff; Prehabilitation; Rehabilitation

Keywords

prehabilitation; rotator cuff repair; shoulder pain

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• Western Ontario Rotator Cuff (WORC)

  It consists of 21 questions, addressing physical symptoms, sports and recreation, work and recreation, work, life studies and emotions. All dimensions were calculated and will be reported as a percentage. The WORC (Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index) has an absolute maximum score of 2100 points, representing the worst possible symptoms or the highest level of shoulder disability.

  4,8 and 12 week

Secondary Outcomes (7)

• Pain intensity

  4,8 and 12 week

• Kinesiophobia (TSK-11)

  4,8 and 12 week

• Catastrophizing (PCS)

  4,8 and 12 week

• Disability (QUICKDASH)

  4,8 and 12 week

• Grip Strength

  4,8 and 12 week

Study Arms (2)

Prehabilitation

EXPERIMENTAL

2 prehabilitation sessions before surgery + standard postoperative ohysiotherapy rehabilitation

Other: Prehabilitation

Control group

NO INTERVENTION

Received a standard ohysical therapy program alone, Following arthroscopic surgery, all participants were immobilized with a sling and abduction cushion for 3 weeks. Participants attended physical therapy 2 to 3 times per week, with each session consisting of 60 minutes of intervention. The same exercise protocol based on the consensus guidelines of The American Society of Shoulder and Elbow Therapists was followed.

Interventions

Prehabilitation OTHER

Two 60-minute prehabilitation sessions were conducted one week prior to surgery by kinesiologist specializing in musculoskeletal rehabilitation. The first session consisted of a power point presentation covering: (1) postoperative stages; (2) biopsychosocial factors influencing pain management; (3) the correct use of the sling and abduction cushion. The second session required participants to bring a companion for demostrations and practice of: (1) strategies for performing activities of daily living; (2) permitted movements and restrictions during the first postoperative weeks; (3) distal mobility exercises and (4) sleep hygiene strategies.

Prehabilitation

Eligibility Criteria

• Age: 50 Years+
• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: No
• Age Groups: Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• Men or women
• Over 50 years of age
• Awaiting arthroscopic surgery for rotator cuff repair of one or more tendons
• Signed informed consent.

You may not qualify if:

• Patients with a history of previous shoulder surgery ( in the contralateral shoulder)
• Patients with a massive irreparable rotator cuff tears
• Patientes with a history of infiltration in an injured shoulder
• Uncontrolled or undiagnosed sleep disorders
• The presence of mental or neurological illness, inability to read or follow instructions.

Sponsors & Collaborators

• Laura Castillo Vejar: lead

Study Sites (1)

Temuco

Temuco, Chile

Location

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Shoulder Pain

Interventions

Preoperative Exercise

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Arthralgia; Joint Diseases; Musculoskeletal Diseases; Pain; Neurologic Manifestations; Signs and Symptoms; Pathological Conditions, Signs and Symptoms

Intervention Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Perioperative Care; Patient Care; Therapeutics; Surgical Procedures, Operative; Exercise; Motor Activity; Movement; Musculoskeletal Physiological Phenomena; Musculoskeletal and Neural Physiological Phenomena; Health Services; Health Care Facilities Workforce and Services

Study Officials

• Laura Castillo, Msc

  Clinica Mayor RedSalud Temuco

  PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: OUTCOMES ASSESSOR
• Purpose: TREATMENT
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: SPONSOR INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Msc

Model Details: A two-arm parallel randomized clinical trial with repeated measures

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: September 5, 2026
• First Posted: September 15, 2026
• Study Start: September 3, 2026
• Primary Completion (Estimated): October 30, 2026
• Study Completion (Estimated): November 10, 2026
• Last Updated: September 15, 2026

Record last verified: 2026-09

Data Sharing

• IPD Sharing: Will not share

Locations

CL (1)