ArticleJSES international2020
Does application of abduction brace after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair improve blood flow around posterosuperior rotator cuff and repair site, affecting pain levels and clinical and structural outcomes? A pilot randomized controlled trial.
Article in JSES international, 2020. 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.
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Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 20 citations in OpenAlex.
- Comparison of abduction neutral rotation brace versus conventional arm sling following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: a randomized controlled trial.European journal of orthopaedic surgery & traumatology : orthopedie traumatologie · 2025Trial
- Comparison of clinical outcomes between plastic braces versus sponge abduction packs in the early rehabilitation period after rotator cuff repair.BMC musculoskeletal disorders · 2025Article
- Independent third row augmentation of massive rotator cuff repairs: surgical technique with radiological and patient outcomes.JSES reviews, reports, and techniques · 2025Article
- Effect of abduction brace wearing angle on clinical outcomes after arthroscopic repair of large repairable rotator cuff: a retrospective study.Journal of orthopaedic surgery and research · 2025Article
- Comparing Repaired Subscapularis Tendon Integrity Using Ultrasound in Onlay Versus Inlay Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty.Journal of clinical medicine · 2025Article
- Is it necessary to use a sling or abduction pillow sling after superior rotator cuff repair? A preliminary report.Turkish journal of physical medicine and rehabilitation · 2024Article
- Sling Versus Abduction Brace Shoulder Immobilization After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2023Review
- Massive and Irreparable Rotator Cuff Tears: A Review of Current Definitions and Concepts.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2023Review
- Current Understanding and New Advances in the Surgical Management of Reparable Rotator Cuff Tears: A Scoping Review.Journal of clinical medicine · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
6 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundAs per some cadaveric studies, blood flow in posterosuperior rotator cuff tendons improves in the abducted shoulder position compared with the neutral position. In a clinical post-rotator cuff repair scenario, the impact of abduction on altered blood flow in and around the posterosuperior rotator cuff tendons is unknown in terms of clinical outcomes and structural healing. MATERIALS AND
methodsThis study included 42 eligible patients aged between 40 and 70 years with clinically diagnosed and radiologically confirmed rotator cuff tears undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Patients were randomly allocated to undergo application of either an abduction brace (group 1) or an arm pouch (group 2). On postoperative day 1, power Doppler scanning was performed on the index shoulder in adduction and 30° of abduction in each patient; the allocated treatment (abduction brace or arm pouch) was then applied. Power Doppler scanning was repeated at 6 weeks in the immobilization position assigned to the patient (abduction or adduction). The vascular flow in 6 regions was noted as per the criteria of Fealy et al. A visual analog scale score was assessed preoperatively and at 1, 3, 6, 12, and 56 weeks postoperatively. Clinical assessment was performed with the Constant-Murley score at 1 year, and structural healing of the cuff was assessed using ultrasonography at 3 and 12 months.
resultOn the first postoperative day, blood flow was significantly higher in all 6 areas of the shoulder in group 1 than in group 2. The mean total vascular score was significantly higher in group 1 than in group 2 on postoperative day 1 (
conclusionHigher blood flow in and around the posterosuperior rotator cuff owing to an abducted shoulder position with an abduction brace in the first 6 weeks postoperatively fails to offer any advantage in terms of lower pain levels, better clinical scores, or superior cuff healing.
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