Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41613524›Full record

ArticleOrthopaedic journal of sports medicine2026

Factors Associated With Tear Propagation and Patient-Reported Outcomes Following Personalized Exercise Therapy for Individuals With Symptomatic Rotator Cuff Tears.

Luke T Mattar, Jumpei Inoue, Adam J Popchak, William J Anderst, Volker Musahl, Richard E Debski, James J Irrgang

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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.

2 · The registry

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.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Observational
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Luke T MattarOrthopaedic Robotics Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4360-837X
Jumpei InoueOrthopaedic Robotics Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3953-5646
Adam J PopchakDepartment of Physical Therapy, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4932-6541
William J AnderstUPMC Freddie Fu Sports Medicine Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
Volker MusahlOrthopaedic Robotics Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8881-6212
Richard E DebskiOrthopaedic Robotics Laboratory, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.
James J IrrgangUPMC Freddie Fu Sports Medicine Center, Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7529-2672

Funding

Predicting the Outcome of Exercise Therapy for Treatment of Rotator Cuff TearsR01AR069503 · NIAMS · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · PI Richard E Debski, JAMES JOHN IRRGANG · 2016 to 2026
$5.3M
NIAMS NIH HHS R01 AR069503
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Exercise therapy is recommended for the initial treatment of individuals with rotator cuff tears but fails in 25% to 50% of cases. Determining the baseline factors associated with patient-reported outcomes and tear propagation immediately following exercise therapy may improve treatment decision-making. Purpose: To prospectively identify factors associated with tear propagation and patient-reported outcomes immediately following a 12-week personalized exercise therapy program in individuals with symptomatic isolated supraspinatus tears. Study Design: Cohort study; Level of evidence, 2. Methods: In total, 109 individuals were recruited for this prognostic prospective longitudinal cross-sectional study and underwent a 12-week personalized exercise therapy program for the treatment of rotator cuff tears. Individuals underwent assessments of passive glenohumeral range of motion (ROM), isometric muscle strength (internal and external rotation and abduction), and glenohumeral arthrokinematics during scapular plane abduction immediately before the initiation of exercise therapy. Immediately before and after the exercise therapy program, tear size was quantified using ultrasound (propagation defined as tear size change ≥4.6 mm), and individuals completed the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff (WORC) Index score. Logistic and multiple linear regression were used to determine if baseline glenohumeral contact path length, tear size, passive glenohumeral ROM, and isometric strength were predictors of tear propagation and patient-reported outcomes immediately following exercise therapy. Results: Overall, 7 individuals (8.5%) experienced tear propagation immediately following exercise therapy. Logistic regression analysis indicated that baseline tear size was the only predictor associated with tear propagation immediately following exercise therapy. There was a 29.0% decrease in the odds of tear propagation for each 1.0-mm increase in baseline tear size (odds ratio, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.51-0.99; Conclusion: Immediately following a 12-week personalized exercise therapy program, the percentage of individuals who experienced tear propagation was low, and baseline tear size and higher internal rotation strength were associated with tear propagation and WORC scores, respectively. Thus, the current study identified factors immediately before exercise therapy that affect tear propagation and WORC scores following an exercise therapy program.

Indexed as

exercise therapypatient-reported outcomesprognosisrotator cufftear propagation

Identifiers

PMID41613524
PMCPMC12847680

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Registered trials

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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.