Rehabilitation guidelines following arthroscopic shoulder stabilisation surgery for traumatic instability - a Delphi consensus.

BACKGROUND: There is no consistent approach to rehabilitation following arthroscopic shoulder stabilisation surgery (ASSS) in the UK. The aim of this study was to agree a set of post-operative guidelines for clinical practice. METHOD: Expert stakeholders (surgeons, physiotherapists and patients) were identified via professional networks and patient involvement and engagements groups. A three-stage online Delphi study was undertaken. Consensus was defined by the OMERACT threshold of 70% agreement. RESULTS: 11 surgeons, 22 physiotherapists and 4 patients participated. It was agreed patients should be routinely immobilised in a sling for up to 3 weeks but can discard earlier if able. During the immobilisation period, patients should move only within a defined "safe zone." Permitted functional activities include using cutlery, lifting a drink, slicing bread, using kitchen utensils, wiping a table, light dusting, pulling up clothing, washing/drying dishes. Closing car doors or draining saucepans should be avoided. Through range movements can commence after 4 weeks, resisted movements at 6 weeks. Patients can resume light work as they feel able and return to manual work after 12 weeks. Return to non-contact sports when functional markers for return to play are met was agreed. Return to contact sport is based on function & confidence after a minimum of 12 weeks. Additional factors to consider when determining rehabilitation progression: functional/physical milestones, patient's confidence and presence of kinesiophobia. The preferred outcome measure is the Oxford Instability Shoulder Score. CONCLUSION: This consensus provides expert recommendations for the development of rehabilitation guidelines following ASSS. CONTRIBUTION OF THE PAPER.

Rehabilitation following shoulder arthroscopic stabilisation surgery: A survey of UK practice.

Background: Optimal rehabilitation following arthroscopic shoulder stabilisation for traumatic anterior instability is unknown. The purpose of this study was to establish current UK practice for this patient group. Methods: A self-administered online questionnaire was developed and distributed to UK surgeons and physiotherapists. Results: 138 responses were received. Routine immobilisation was reported in 79.7% of responses with a cross-body sling being the preferred position (63.4%). Duration of immobilisation and timescales to initiate movement were highly variable. Return to light work was advised when patients felt able (25.4%) or after 6 weeks (26.1%). 58.7% recommended waiting for 12 weeks to return to manual work. 56% recommended non-contact sport could be resumed after 12 weeks. For contact sport, recommendations varied from 6 weeks (3.8%) to 6 months (5.8%). Psychological readiness was the most frequently cited criteria for return to play (58.6%). Factors such as hyperlaxity (40.6%), age (32.6%) and kinesiophobia (28.3%) were not considered as relevant as reported quality of surgical fixation (50%). Conclusion: There is no clear consensus regarding optimal post-operative rehabilitation following arthroscopic shoulder stabilisation. Further work is required to establish high value, personalised pathways for this patient group.

A validation of the Nottingham Clavicle Score: a clavicle, acromioclavicular joint and sternoclavicular joint-specific patient-reported outcome measure.

BACKGROUND: Patients with acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) and sternoclavicular joint (SCJ) injuries and with clavicle fractures are typically younger and more active than those with other shoulder pathologies. We developed the Nottingham Clavicle Score (NCS) specifically for this group of patients to improve sensitivity for assessing the outcomes of treatment of these conditions compared with the more commonly used Constant Score (CS) and Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This was a cohort study in which the preoperative and 6-month postoperative NCS evaluations of outcome in 90 patients were compared with the CS, OSS, Imatani Score (IS), and the EQ-5D scores. Reliability was assessed using the Cronbach α. Reproducibility of the NCS was assessed using the test/retest method. Effect sizes were calculated for each score to assess sensitivity to change. Validity was examined by correlations between the NCS and the CS, OSS, IS, and EQ-5D scores obtained preoperatively and postoperatively. RESULTS: Significant correlations were demonstrated preoperatively with the OSS (P = .025) and all subcategories of the EQ-5D (P < .05) and postoperatively with the OSS (P < .001), CS (P = .008), IS (P < .001), and all subcategories of EQ-5D (P < .02). The NCS had the largest effect size (1.92) of the compared scores. Internal consistency was excellent (Cronbach α = 0.87). CONCLUSION: The NCS has been proven to be a valid, reliable and sensitive outcome measure that accurately measures the level of function and disability in the ACJ, SCJ and clavicle after traumatic injury and in degenerative disease.

Patient-reported outcomes following a physiotherapy rehabilitation programme for atraumatic posterior shoulder subluxation.

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of research that describes the patient-reported benefits of physiotherapy rehabilitation for atraumatic posterior instability despite non-operative treatment being considered the initial treatment of choice. This retrospective case series review describes the patient-reported outcomes following a physiotherapy rehabilitation programme for atraumatic posterior shoulder instability. METHODS: Nineteen consecutive patients with a clinical diagnosis of atraumatic posterior shoulder subluxation completed our physiotherapy programme. All patients completed Oxford Instability Shoulder scores (OISS) and Western Ontario Shoulder Instability Index (WOSI) scores before and after physiotherapy intervention. RESULTS: Patients reported a statistically significant clinical improvement in the main outcome measures following physiotherapy intervention. The OISS showed a mean improvement of 18.6 points, whereas the WOSI score showed a mean improvement of 37.2%. Following physiotherapy rehabilitation, all patients reported that their shoulder did not prevent them from performing their work/studies or their chosen hobbies/sports. CONCLUSIONS: Our results support the view that specialized physiotherapy rehabilitation is a valuable treatment option for atraumatic posterior shoulder instability and reveal significant clinically important improvements in patient-reported outcomes.