Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41994422›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in medicine2026

Effect of early physical therapy initiation and adherence on functional outcomes after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair: a prospective observational cohort study.

Abdullah Raizah, Ravi Shankar Reddy, Mastour Saeed Alshahrani, Faisal M Alyazedi, Batool Abdulelah Alkhamis, Saleh Kardm, Ghada Mohamed Koura, Devika Rani Sangadala, Debjani Mukherjee

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Article in Frontiers in medicine, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

Abdullah RaizahDepartment of Orthopaedic Surgery, College of Medicine, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Ravi Shankar ReddyProgram of Physical Therapy, Department of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Mastour Saeed AlshahraniProgram of Physical Therapy, Department of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Faisal M AlyazediPhysical Therapy Department, Prince Sultan Military College of Health Sciences, Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.
Batool Abdulelah AlkhamisProgram of Physical Therapy, Department of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Saleh KardmDepartment of Surgery, College of Medicine, Najran University, Najran, Saudi Arabia.
Ghada Mohamed KouraProgram of Physical Therapy, Department of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Devika Rani SangadalaProgram of Physical Therapy, Department of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.
Debjani MukherjeeProgram of Physical Therapy, Department of Medical Rehabilitation Sciences, College of Applied Medical Sciences, King Khalid University, Abha, Saudi Arabia.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Rotator cuff repair outcomes are influenced not only by surgical technique but also by postoperative rehabilitation. However, the optimal timing of physical therapy (PT) initiation and the role of adherence remain incompletely understood. This study aimed to evaluate the independent and combined effects of early PT initiation and adherence on functional recovery following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Methods: In this prospective observational cohort study, 160 patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair were categorized into early (≤14 days) and delayed (>14 days) PT initiation groups. Functional outcomes were assessed at 3-6 months using validated measures, including the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH), Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), Functional Independence Measure (FIM), and Visual Analog Scale (VAS). PT adherence was stratified by the number of sessions attended. Multivariate regression analysis was performed to identify independent predictors of functional outcomes. Results: Early PT initiation and higher adherence were independently associated with significantly improved functional outcomes, including lower DASH and SPADI scores, reduced pain, and greater range of motion ( Discussion: Early initiation of PT combined with high adherence leads to superior functional recovery following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. These findings highlight the importance of timely and structured rehabilitation protocols and suggest that patient-specific factors such as age and tear size should be considered when designing postoperative rehabilitation strategies.

Indexed as

early mobilizationfunctional outcomephysical therapyrehabilitation adherencerotator cuff repairshoulder function

Identifiers

PMID41994422
PMCPMC13079371

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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.