Validation of an Upper Extremity Physical Performance Test Battery in Patients After Shoulder Dislocation

Predictive Validity of an Upper Extremity Physical Performance Test Battery in Patients After Shoulder Dislocation: a Prospective Study

The goal of this exploratory prospective study is to determine if an upper extremity test battery, comprised of physical performance tests, analytical tests and patient-reported outcome measures, can predict successful return to sports and quality of life in athletes (age 16-55) after shoulder dislocation.

The main research questions are:

• Can an Upper Extremity Physical Performance Test Battery predict successful return to sports (= return to pre-injury sports level) in athletes after shoulder stabilization procedure
• Can an Upper Extremity Physical Performance Test Battery predict the quality of life in athletes after shoulder stabilization procedure

Participants will:

• Fill out questionnaires pre-operatively
• Fill out the SIRSI questionnaire throughout the rehabilitation
• Undergo a testing battery in the return to sport phase, including physical performance tests, analytical tests and patient-reported outcome measures
• Fill out questionnaires every 3 months after return to sports, up to 1 year.

After enrollment, athletes will be asked about their injury history, and demographic information will also be collected, including gender, age, athlete experience, and sports level. During rehabilitation (duration: typically between 3 and 6 months), the participant will be given a monthly questionnaire that surveys their rehabilitation progress. At the time they return to sport (after green light by orthopaedic surgeon and physiotherapist), they are tested once with the test battery (physical performance tests, analytical tests and patient-reported outcome measures). Patients will be tested as close as possible to the actual return to sport timing. Following, they are monitored for another year with questionnaires, every 3 months, that survey their pain, current level of competition, quality of life, confidence in the shoulder and possible re-injuries. This way, the included participants will be monitored for +- 18 months (duration of rehabilitation + 1 year follow-up after return to sport).

Inclusion Criteria:

• Practising sports with moderate to high demand on the shoulder (based on Degree of Shoulder Involvement in Sport (DOSIS) scale), minimal weekly 3 hours
• Shoulder instability event (anterior direction)
• Healthy contralateral shoulder
• Completion of the postoperative rehabilitation protocol

Exclusion Criteria:

• Other upper limb pathologies/ associated injuries: e.g. posterior instability, or rotator cuff tear,...
• Being pregnant
• No intention to return to pre-injury sport