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Prosthesis Versus Active Exercise Program in Patients With Rotator Cuff Arthropathy

Prosthesis Versus Active Exercise Program in Patients With Rotator Cuff Arthropathy Eligible For Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty: the ReAct Multicenter, Randomized Controlled Trial

Status
Recruiting
Phases
Unknown
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT04864158
Acronym
REACT
Enrollment
102
Registered
2021-04-28
Start date
2021-05-28
Completion date
2037-01-01
Last updated
2026-07-02

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Rotator Cuff Arthropathy

Keywords

Physiotherapist-supervised Exercise, Physical Therapy, Physical Rehabilitation, Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty, Randomized Controlled Trial, Cuff Tear Arthropathy

Brief summary

Reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) is a well-established treatment for rotator cuff arthropathy. However, the effectiveness of RSA has not been compared to non-surgical treatment in a randomised controlled trial. Shoulder exercises may be an effective treatment for reducing pain and improving function in glenohumeral osteoarthritis. The primary aim of this trial is to examine if RSA followed by standard postsurgical rehabilitation is superior to a 12-week exercise programme in patients with rotator cuff arthropathy eligible for unilateral RSA. The investigators hypothesise that surgical intervention followed by standard rehabilitation, results in clinically relevant (14-point, on a scale from 0-100) improvement compared to the exercise intervention.

Detailed description

Rotator cuff arthropathy describes the clinical scenario of massive rotator cuff ruptures associated with glenohumeral joint degeneration and superior migration of the humeral head. Clinical presentation includes joint effusion, pain, and loss of mobility. Reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA) is a well-established treatment for rotator cuff arthropathy. Several studies have suggested the need for trials comparing shoulder arthroplasty to non-surgical treatments. The ProAct trial is a Nordic multicenter randomized controlled trial. Patients with rotator cuff arthropathy, eligible for a RSA will be randomised to either RSA followed by usual care or exercise only. The exercise intervention consists of 12 weeks of exercise with one weekly physiotherapist-supervised exercise session. The primary outcome will be the total the Western Ontario Osteoarthritis of the Shoulder index score at 12 months follow-up. Outcome assessment will be performed at baseline, and at 3 and 12 months and 2-, 5- and 10 years after start of surgical/non-surgical treatment. Patients fulfilling the eligibility criteria but declining to participate in the randomised trial will be offered the option of participating in an observational cohort using the same primary end point and patient reported outcomes, but following usual clinical practice.

Interventions

PROCEDURETSA-group

Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty followed by standard rehabilitation.

The exercise-group will attend a 12-week exercise program with one weekly physiotherapist-supervised session supplemented with two weekly sessions of home-based exercises. Utilisation of a predefined training protocol describing procedures and content of each session secure uniformity and standardisation of the intervention. The exercise program consists of two warm-up exercises and five exercises that target shoulder range of motion and muscle strength. Furthermore, a link to a video, informing about glenohumeral osteoarthritis, the role of exercise and exercise related pain, will be sent to all patients in the exercise-group. The physiotherapists delivering the exercise intervention are not otherwise related to the trial.

Sponsors

University of Aarhus
Lead SponsorOTHER
Aarhus University Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Tampere University Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Aalborg University Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
Regionshospitalet Silkeborg
CollaboratorOTHER
Oslo University Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER
The Danish Rheumatism Association
CollaboratorOTHER
Association of Danish Physiotherapists
CollaboratorOTHER
Regionshospitalet Viborg, Skive
CollaboratorOTHER
Esbjerg Hospital - University Hospital of Southern Denmark
CollaboratorOTHER
Tartu University Hospital
CollaboratorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
DOUBLE (Investigator, Outcomes Assessor)

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
60 Years to 85 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Patients 60-85 years * Eligible for RSA * Rotator cuff arthropathy according to Hamada grade 3, 4 and 5 (33)

Exclusion criteria

* Previous shoulder fracture (fracture of the proximal humerus or glenoid fracture) * Planned other upper extremity surgery within six months * Rheumatoid arthritis or other types of arthritis not diagnosed as primary glenohumeral OA * Cancer diagnosis and receiving chemo-, immuno- or radiotherapy * Neurological diseases affecting shoulder mobility (e.g. disability after previous stroke, multiple sclerosis, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's disease) * Other reasons for exclusion (i.e. mentally unable to participate) or planned absence for more than 14 days in the first 3 months after baseline test. * Unable to communicate in the participating countries respective languages

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
the Western Ontario Osteoarthritis of the Shoulder index (WOOS)Measured at 12 month follow-upWOOS consist of 19 items to be answered using a visual analog scale (VAS). Each item has a possible score ranging from 0 to 100, leading to a total WOOS score ranging from 0 to 1900, with 0 being the best. For simplicity reasons, raw scores can be converted to a percentage of the maximum score (0-100, 100 best).

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
the Western Ontario Osteoarthritis of the Shoulder index (WOOS)Measured at baseline, 12-week, 2-, 5- and 10-year follow-upWOOS consist of 19 items to be answered using a visual analog scale (VAS). Each item has a possible score ranging from 0 to 100, leading to a total WOOS score ranging from 0 to 1900, with 0 being the best. For simplicity reasons, raw scores can be converted to a percentage of the maximum score (0-100, 100 best).
Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH)Measured at baseline, 12-week, 12-month, 2-, 5- and 10-year follow-upDASH is a self-administered questionnaire that consist of thirty core items and eight items assessing work and sports and/or performing arts activities. Each individual item is scored on a 5-point Likert scale, and lower scores correlated to minimal impairments and higher scores indicate more impairment. The cumulative DASH score is scaled from 0-100 with higher scores indicating more disability
The change in pain measured on a 100 mm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS)Measured at baseline, 12-week, 12-month, 2-, 5- and 10-year follow-upPatient reported pain intensity at rest, during activity and nightly pain. With a possible score ranging from 0 to 100, with 100 indicating the worst possible pain
The use of analgesics during the last weekMeasured at baseline, 12-week, 12-month, 2-, 5- and 10-year follow-upThe patients will be asked if they take any analgesics (yes/no)
The type of analgesics consumed during the last weekMeasured at baseline, 12-week, 12-month, 2-, 5- and 10-year follow-upThe patients will be asked which type of analgesics they take (paracetamol, NSAID, morphine/opioids).
Consumption of analgesics during the last weekMeasured at baseline, 12-week, 12-month, 2-, 5- and 10-year follow-upThe patients will be asked how often they consume the analgesic medication (never, daily, weekly, monthly).
Serious Adverse EventsThe patients in the surgical intervention group will be monitored for serious adverse events during the 4 weeks from the discharge.Serious adverse events are defined as embolism (cardiac or brain), death, liver and renal failure.
Adverse eventsOccurring during the period from inclusion until the 12-month follow-upDefined as any unintended and unfavorable sign, symptom or disease resulting in contact with the healthcare system irrespective of a causal relationship with the intervention and outcome assessments.

Countries

Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Norway

Contacts

CONTACTJosefine B. Larsen, MSc
josefinebl@clin.au.dk4526237771
CONTACTInger Mechlenburg, Prof.
inger.mechlenburg@clin.au.dk4521679062
PRINCIPAL_INVESTIGATORJosefine B. Larsen, MSc

Aarhus University Hospital and Aarhus University

STUDY_DIRECTORInger Mechlenburg, Prof.

Aarhus University Hospital and Aarhus University

STUDY_DIRECTORTheis M. Thillemann, PhD, As Prof

Aarhus University Hospital and Aarhus University

STUDY_DIRECTORAntti P. Launonen, PhD, As Prof

Tampere University Hospital

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Jul 3, 2026