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Sling vs No Sling After Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty

Sling vs No Sling After Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty

Status
Active, not recruiting
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT06092996
Enrollment
100
Registered
2023-10-23
Start date
2023-12-07
Completion date
2028-12-31
Last updated
2026-01-08

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

Conditions

Rotator Cuff Tear Arthropathy, Shoulder Disease, Shoulder Osteoarthritis

Brief summary

This study involves patients who will be undergoing a reverse total shoulder replacement at Duke University. 100 eligible will be randomly assigned into one of two groups, a sling or no sling group. Patients in the sling group will wear a sling for three weeks after their surgery while the no sling group will only wear a sling three days after their surgery. Patients will follow their doctors normal follow up visit schedule after surgery, with visits at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years.

Detailed description

The purpose of this study is to determine whether or not a sling is necessary after the nerve block has worn off postoperatively for patients undergoing reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. Patients who are scheduled for a reverse total shoulder with the participating investigators will be approached for potential participation in the study. Before the surgery, subjects will be randomly assigned to either the Sling (control) group or the No-Sling (investigational) group. The Sling, or control, group will wear a sling through 3 weeks postoperatively. The No Sling (investigational) group, will wear a sling either through 3 days postoperatively. Following surgery, patients will be followed at their standard of care visits at 2 weeks, 6 weeks, 3 months, 6 months, 1 year, and 2 years after their surgical date. The investigators will collect data from these standard of care visits including PROs (including but not limited to ASES and SANE), Adverse events data, and physical exam data including range of motion. Patients will be followed through their two-year visit and then taken off study.

Interventions

OTHERTime of Sling Use

Standard sling worn for only three days post operatively

Sponsors

Duke University
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
OTHER
Masking
NONE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 100 Years
Healthy volunteers
No

Inclusion criteria

* Patient is scheduled to undergo a primary reverse shoulder arthroplasty procedure * Patient voluntarily consents to participate in the study and has the mental and physical ability to participate in the study, fill out subjective questionnaires, return for follow-up visits, and comply with prescribed post-operative physical therapy * Patient meets indications for primary reverse shoulder arthroplasty for the following diagnosis * Rotator cuff arthropathy * Glenohumeral arthritis * Patient is between 18-100 years old * Patient is English speaking

Exclusion criteria

* A history of ipsilateral shoulder arthroplasty * A history of shoulder septic arthritis * A history of a proximal humeral fracture * Chronic locked dislocation * Rheumatoid arthritis * Tumors * Axillary nerve damage * Non-functioning deltoid muscle * Glenoid vault deficiency precluding baseplate fixation * Infection and neuropathic joints * Known or suspected non-compliance, drug or alcohol abuse * Patients incapable of judgement or under tutelage * Inability to follow the procedures of the study, e.g. due to language problems, psychological disorders, dementia, contraindication for imaging etc. * The subject is related to investigator as family members, employees, or other dependent persons

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Number of participants who develop any kind of postoperative complication6 months primary, Up to the first 2 years following surgeryIncidence of postoperative complications

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form (ASES) score6 months primary, Up to the first 2 years following surgeryThe ASES is a 100-point scale that consists of two dimensions: pain and activities of daily living. There is one pain scale worth 50 points and ten activities of daily living worth 50 points. Total score ranges from 0 to 100 with a score of 0 indicating a worse shoulder condition and 100 indicating a better shoulder condition.
Single Assessment Numeric Evaluation (SANE) score6 months primary, Up to the first 2 years following surgeryThe SANE is a single-question outcome measure that asks patients to rate their function (as it pertains to the area being treated) on a scale of 0 to 100, where a higher score indicates greater function.

Countries

United States

Outcome results

None listed

Source: ClinicalTrials.gov · Data processed: Feb 4, 2026