Trial reportBMC musculoskeletal disorders2017
Continuous passive motion and physical therapy (CPM) versus physical therapy (PT) versus delayed physical therapy (DPT) after surgical release for elbow contractures; a study protocol for a prospective randomized controlled trial.
Trial report in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 33 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effectiveness of home based continuous passive motion compared with conventional physical therapy after arthroscopic release of degenerative elbow stiffness.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Rehabilitation after surgical release of the stiff elbow: A literature review.Journal of orthopaedics · 2025Review
- The role of early orthotic intervention in the management of post-traumatic elbow contractures: Study protocol for phase II double-blinded randomised controlled trial.Hand therapy · 2025Article
- Management of the stiff elbow: a literature review.EFORT open reviews · 2023Review
- Hidden instability in posttraumatic stiff elbows.European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie · 2021Article
- Advanced rehabilitation technology in orthopaedics-a narrative review.International orthopaedics · 2021Review
- The post-traumatic stiff elbow: A review.Journal of clinical orthopaedics and trauma · 2021Article
- Primary open elbow arthrolysis in post-traumatic elbow stiffness - A comparison of outcomes in severity of elbow injury.Journal of clinical orthopaedics and trauma · 2021Article
- Determining the effective timing of an open arthrolysis for post-traumatic elbow stiffness: a retrospective cohort study.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2019Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors at 3 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
Abstract
backgroundThe elbow is prone to stiffness after trauma. To regain functional elbow motion several conservative- and surgical treatment options are available. Conservative treatment includes physical therapy, intra-articular injections with corticosteroids and a static progressive or dynamic splinting program. If conservative treatment fails, an operative release of the posttraumatic stiff elbow is often performed. The best Evidence-Based rehabilitation protocol for patients after an operative release is unknown to date and differs per surgeon, hospital and country. Options include early- or delayed motion supervised by a physical therapist, immediate continuous passive motion (CPM), (night) splinting and a static progressive or dynamic splinting program. METHODS/
designThe SET-Study (Stiff Elbow Trial) is a single-centre, prospective, randomized controlled trial. The primary objective of this study is to compare the active Range of Motion (ROM) (flexion arc and rotational arc) twelve months after surgery between three groups. The first group will receive in-hospital CPM in combination with early motion Physical Therapy (PT) supervised by a physical therapist, the second group will receive only in-hospital early motion PT supervised by a physical therapist and the third group will receive outpatient supervised PT from postoperative day seven till ten. Secondary outcome measures will be Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) including the Mayo Elbow Performance Score (MEPS), the Oxford Elbow Score (OES), the quick Disabilities of Arm, Shoulder and Hand (qDASH) score, Visual Analogue pain Scale in rest and activity (VAS), Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS), the Short Form (SF)-36, the Centre for Epidemiological Studies Depression Scale Revised (CESD-R) and the Work Rehabilitation Questionnaire (WORQ) for the upper limb. DISCUSSION: A successful completion of this trial will provide evidence on the best rehabilitation protocol in order to (re)gain optimal motion after surgical release of the stiff elbow.
trial registrationThe trial is registered at the Dutch Trial Register: NTR6067 , 31-8-2016.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.