Abduction Brace Versus Antirotation Sling for Immobilization Following Reverse Shoulder Arthroplasty and Rotator Cuff Repair

Study Purpose

To compare the functional and anatomical outcomes, and patient satisfaction and compliance between two different postoperative immobilization methods

  • - abduction shoulder brace versus simple arm sling - following 2 common shoulder surgical procedures - rotator cuff repair (RCR) and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) through a prospective randomized clinical trial.

Recruitment Criteria

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Healthy volunteers are participants who do not have a disease or condition, or related conditions or symptoms

Yes
Study Type

An interventional clinical study is where participants are assigned to receive one or more interventions (or no intervention) so that researchers can evaluate the effects of the interventions on biomedical or health-related outcomes.


An observational clinical study is where participants identified as belonging to study groups are assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.


Searching Both is inclusive of interventional and observational studies.

Interventional
Eligible Ages 18 Years and Over
Gender All
More Inclusion & Exclusion Criteria

Inclusion Criteria:

  • - patients 18 years and above - male or female Rotator cuff tear patients - adults with a small or medium-sized (less than 3 cm in the anteroposterior dimension) full-thickness tear of supraspinatus and/or infraspinatus tendon, diagnosed with MRI or ultrasound, unresponsive to conservative therapy for >3 months Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty patients - adults with rotator cuff arthropathy, glenohumeral joint arthritis with significant glenoid wear or retroversion requiring reverse arthroplasty or massive irreparable rotator cuff tear, functional deltoid, as demonstrated on x-rays, MRI, and physical exam.
Failed conservative management for >3 months

Exclusion Criteria:

  • - younger than 18 years old - chronic opiate use, fibromyalgia - Rotator cuff repair patients - no previous rotator cuff repair surgery, no concomitant preoperative stiffness (definition: < 30 degree passive external rotation, < 100 degree passive forward elevation), no concomitant full-thickness subscapularis tear, no neurologic disorder affecting the ipsilateral upper extremity, no concomitant cervical pathology, partial thickness tear, large or massive tears (>3cm in the anteroposterior dimension), glenohumeral or rotator cuff arthropathy, history of rheumatoid arthritis.
  • - Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty patients -no concomitant preoperative stiffness (definition: < 30 degree passive external rotation, < 100 degree passive forward elevation), no concomitant neurologic disorder affecting the ipsilateral upper extremity, no concomitant cervical pathology.
arthroplasty for fracture, revision surgery, insufficient bone stock requiring hemiarthroplasty, deltoid dysfunction, history of rheumatoid arthritis. - prisoners - non English speaking or unable to understand consent

Trial Details

Trial ID:

This trial id was obtained from ClinicalTrials.gov, a service of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, providing information on publicly and privately supported clinical studies of human participants with locations in all 50 States and in 196 countries.

NCT03488433
Phase

Phase 1: Studies that emphasize safety and how the drug is metabolized and excreted in humans.

Phase 2: Studies that gather preliminary data on effectiveness (whether the drug works in people who have a certain disease or condition) and additional safety data.

Phase 3: Studies that gather more information about safety and effectiveness by studying different populations and different dosages and by using the drug in combination with other drugs.

Phase 4: Studies occurring after FDA has approved a drug for marketing, efficacy, or optimal use.

N/A
Lead Sponsor

The sponsor is the organization or person who oversees the clinical study and is responsible for analyzing the study data.

Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
Principal Investigator

The person who is responsible for the scientific and technical direction of the entire clinical study.

N/A
Principal Investigator Affiliation N/A
Agency Class

Category of organization(s) involved as sponsor (and collaborator) supporting the trial.

Other
Overall Status Not yet recruiting
Countries United States
Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied.

Rotator Cuff Tear Arthropathy, Rotator Cuff Tear
Additional Details

Scientific Background and Gaps Rotator cuff repair and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty are common procedures that aim to provide patients with less pain, better shoulder function, and overall improved quality of life. The number of these procedures performed annually has increased dramatically, and improved outcomes have been demonstrated for each intervention. Part of the success of these operations is dependent on postoperative rehabilitation and patient compliance. Shoulder immobilization versus early range of motion following each procedure has conflicting data, and recent studies have shown that the method of shoulder immobilization may not influence clinical outcomes. Previous studies, both clinical and biomechanical, have demonstrated that arm position following RCR impacts tension and stress placed on the repair, but few have shown whether this translates to improved patient outcomes. Some surgeons prefer simple arm slings for the above-named procedures, while others opt for the abduction brace. Multiple studies have shown the optimal shoulder position that places the least amount of tension on the RCR, or soft tissue envelope following RTSA, however there is no consensus as to the optimal postoperative immobilization technique that significantly affects patient outcomes. An antirotation sling is significantly cheaper than an abduction shoulder brace, and our anecdotal experience is that patients experience more difficulties with an abduction shoulder brace than an antirotation sling. Our study aims to determine whether patient outcomes are significantly affected by immobilization with an abduction brace or simple arm sling. Our hypothesis is that antirotation slings are no better or worse than shoulder abduction braces in regards to shoulder range of motion, satisfaction and compliance with the immobilization method, and pain. Study Rationale There is a lack of evidence regarding abduction braces versus simple arm slings for postoperative immobilization following rotator cuff repair and reverse total shoulder arthroplasty. A better understanding of outcomes between each device will allow for more options available to the patient and surgeon, as well as a potential for decreased cost to the patient as there is a substantial difference in cost between the two devices.

Arms & Interventions

Arms

Active Comparator: Antirotation sling

Patients who undergo reverse shoulder arthroplasty or rotator cuff repair will be randomly assigned to this group.

Active Comparator: abduction brace

Patients who undergo reverse shoulder arthroplasty or rotator cuff repair will be randomly assigned to this group.

Interventions

Device: - Abduction brace

Donjoy Ultrasling IV

Device: - Antirotation sling

Donjoy shoulder immobilizer

Contact a Trial Team

If you are interested in learning more about this trial, find the trial site nearest to your location and contact the site coordinator via email or phone. We also strongly recommend that you consult with your healthcare provider about the trials that may interest you and refer to our terms of service below.

University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri

Status

Not yet recruiting

Address

University of Missouri

Columbia, Missouri, 65212

Site Contact

Hyunmin M Kim, MD

[email protected]

314-920-3263