Early Recovery After Surgery (ERAS)/Prehabilitation - Randomized Controlled Trial on the Implementation of ERAS/prehabilitation in Elective Reconstructive Shoulder Surgery

Early Recovery After Surgery (ERAS)/Prehabilitation - Randomized Controlled Trial on the Implementation of ERAS/prehabilitation in Elective Reconstructive Shoulder Surgery

The aim of this randomized controlled trial is to investigate whether the intervention can improve the clinical outcome and patient satisfaction in elective reconstructive shoulder surgeries. The study participants are adults with a diagnosed rotator cuff tear for which surgical treatment is planned. This main question is to be answered by the study:

• Does prehabilitation before elective shoulder surgeries lead to an improvement in postoperative outcomes and patient satisfaction compared to the control group?

The control group receives standard information about the hospital stay, while the intervention group undergoes the prehabilitation program in the approximately 6 weeks prior to surgery. This program includes:

• Information on the condition and pain management
• Recommendations for behavior modification
• A home exercise program Primary endpoint is the Western Ontario Rotator Cuff Index (WORC). The assessments are conducted at four time points: at study enrollment, immediately before surgery, and at 6, 12, and 24 months after surgery.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Patients with a traumatic or degenerative rupture of the rotator cuff with whom surgical treatment has been discussed in the shoulder clinic.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Pre-existing fracture of the upper arm or shoulder girdle, rheumatic arthritis/fibromyalgia, additional findings in the shoulder joint (instability, frozen shoulder), neurological disease, cognitive or speech impairment