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Effect of Telerehabilitation on Quality of Life, Pain, and Function After Rotator Cuff Surgery

Effect of Telerehabilitation Versus Conventional Physiotherapy on Quality of Life, Pain, and Functional Outcomes in Patients Following Rotator Cuff Surgery

Status
Completed
Phases
NA
Study type
Interventional
Source
ClinicalTrials.gov
Registry ID
NCT07205094
Acronym
TELERO-ROT
Enrollment
30
Registered
2025-10-03
Start date
2025-02-28
Completion date
2025-05-02
Last updated
2025-10-03

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

Conditions

Rotator Cuff Tears

Keywords

Rotator Cuff Surgery, Telerehabilitation Method, Pain, Quality of Life, Function

Brief summary

he purpose of this study was to find out whether telerehabilitation after rotator cuff surgery can help reduce pain, improve shoulder movement, increase muscle strength, enhance functional ability, and improve quality of life compared to conventional physiotherapy. The study included 30 participants who had undergone rotator cuff surgery at least six weeks earlier. They were divided into two groups: a telerehabilitation group (n=20) and a conventional physiotherapy control group (n=10). Both groups followed an eight-week exercise program, which included range of motion, stretching, strengthening, and stabilization exercises. The study found that both groups improved in pain, shoulder mobility, muscle strength, function, and quality of life. Participants in the telerehabilitation group showed particularly greater improvements in shoulder flexion, flexor muscles, external rotator muscles, and overall quality of life. These results suggest that telerehabilitation may be an effective alternative to traditional physiotherapy after rotator cuff surgery.

Interventions

8-week telerehabilitation program including range of motion, stretching, strengthening, and stabilization exercise

8-week conventional face-to-face physiotherapy program including range of motion, stretching, strengthening, and stabilization exercises

Sponsors

Aysan Yaghoubi
Lead SponsorOTHER

Study design

Allocation
NON_RANDOMIZED
Intervention model
PARALLEL
Primary purpose
TREATMENT
Masking
NONE

Intervention model description

Participants were assigned to two groups: a telerehabilitation group (n=20) and a conventional physiotherapy control group (n=10). Both groups followed an eight-week exercise program, including range of motion, stretching, strengthening, and stabilization exercises. Outcomes such as pain, shoulder mobility, muscle strength, functional ability, and quality of life were compared between the groups.

Eligibility

Sex/Gender
ALL
Age
18 Years to 65 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

* Individuals who have undergone rotator cuff surgery * At least 6 weeks post-surgery * Possess the necessary technology for telerehabilitation (smartphone, computer, internet access) * Willing to participate in the study and have signed the informed consent form

Exclusion criteria

* History of neurological disorders * Severe cardiovascular or pulmonary conditions * Need for special medical care due to postoperative infection or complications * Inability to comply with telerehabilitation due to psychiatric conditions * Lack of access to or knowledge of technology required for telerehabilitation * Participation in another rehabilitation program during the study period

Design outcomes

Primary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Pain intensity (Visual Analog Scale [VAS], 0-10 points)Baseline and after 8-week interventionPain intensity was assessed before and after the 8-week intervention using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) during activity, at rest, and at night. Scores range from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain), with higher scores indicating worse pain. Changes were compared between the telerehabilitation group and the conventional physiotherapy control group.

Secondary

MeasureTime frameDescription
Shoulder range of motion (Goniometer, degrees)Baseline and after 8-week interventionShoulder flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, internal rotation, and external rotation were measured using a goniometer before and after the 8-week intervention. Normal ranges for adults are: flexion 0-180°, extension 0-45°, abduction 0-180°, adduction 0-45°, internal rotation 0-70°, external rotation 0-90°. Changes were compared between the telerehabilitation group and control group.
Muscle strength (Manual Muscle Testing, 0-5 scale)Baseline and after 8-week interventionMuscle strength of shoulder flexors, extensors, abductors, adductors, internal and external rotators was assessed using manual muscle testing before and after the 8-week intervention. Scores range from 0 (no contraction) to 5 (normal strength), with higher scores indicating stronger muscles. Changes were compared between groups.
Quality of life (Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index [WORC], 0-2100 points)Baseline and after 8-week interventionQuality of life was assessed before and after the 8-week intervention using the WORC questionnaire. Scores range from 0 (best quality of life) to 2100 (worst quality of life), with lower scores indicating better quality of life. Changes were compared between the telerehabilitation group and control group.
Functional status (Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand [DASH] questionnaire, 0-100 points)Baseline and after 8-week intervention.Functional status was measured before and after the 8-week intervention using the DASH questionnaire. Scores for each subscale (function, symptoms, social/role function) were calculated separately. Scores range from 0 (no disability) to 100 (maximum disability), with higher scores indicating worse functional status. Changes were compared between the telerehabilitation group and control group.

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Outcome results

None listed

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