Current Evidence Based Recommendations on Rehabilitation following Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery: Rotator Cuff, Instability, Superior Labral Pathology, and Adhesive Capsulitis

AbstractPurpose of ReviewArthroscopy has become increasingly popular for a addressing a wide variety of shoulder pathology. However, despite increasing interest, there is still much uncertainty and variability amongst providers regarding optimal post-operative rehabilitation. This review provides an overview of the evidence underlying common rehab protocols used following arthroscopic interventions for rotator cuff disease, shoulder instability, superior labral anterior to posterior (SLAP) tears and adhesive capsulitis.Recent FindingsFor small and medium sized rotator cuff tears, early motion protocols do not seem to affect healing or retear rates, however there is no difference with regards to long term functional outcomes when compared to standard motion protocols. For larger tears (>  3 cm), early active motion may be associated with impaired tendon integrity. Early range of motion following arthroscopic Bankart repair has not been shown to increase rate of recurrence, however the data on return to sport requires more granularity to effectively guide care. Further research ne eds to be done to compare rehab protocols following SLAP repair and arthroscopic capsular release.SummaryRehabilitation protocols following rotator cuff surgery and anterior shoulder stabilization have garnered the most research interest. However, there is still a need for larger higher-level studies examining the long-term effects of different rehab protocols. Regarding the arthroscopic managem...
Source: Current Reviews in Musculoskeletal Medicine - Category: Orthopaedics Source Type: research