Smallest Worthwhile Effect of Rotator Cuff Repair and Supervised Exercise

Determining the Smallest Worthwhile Effect of Rotator Cuff Repair and Supervised Exercise: A Benefit-Harm Trade-off Study

The goals of this observational study are (1) to determine the smallest worthwhile effect of rotator cuff repair surgery compared to exercise therapy in rotator cuff patients; (2) to determine the smallest worthwhile effect of supervised exercise therapy compared to unsupervised exercise therapy in rotator cuff patients. Another objective of the study is to identify the demographic and clinical factors affecting the smallest worthwhile effect.

The main questions it aims to answer are:

1. What is the smallest worthwhile effect of rotator cuff repair surgery compared to exercise therapy?
2. What is the smallest worthwhile effect of supervised exercise therapy compared to unsupervised exercise therapy?
3. Do demographic and clinical factors influence the smallest worthwhile effect? Participants will be asked to provide demographic and clinical data and to answer questions on a survey.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Over 18 years of age
• Diagnosed with rotator cuff tear by a specialist doctor
• Having pain and functional limitation for at least 4 weeks
• Having a pain level of 3 or higher on the Numeric Pain Scale (NPS)

Exclusion Criteria:

• Presence of another pathology in the affected shoulder region
• Presence of radiculopathy originating from the cervical region or internal organs
• Presence of neurological, rheumatological, or oncological disease
• Insufficient cooperation of the patient with the procedures to be performed within the scope of the study