Rehabilitation Following Reverse Total Shoulder Arthroplasty

Reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA) has been successful in patients with rotator cuff arthropathy, proximal humerus fractures, failed primary total shoulder arthroplasty or failed hemiarthroplasty, and massive irreparable rotator cuff tear. Patients who undergo an RTSA report pain relief and functional range of motion. It has been more than 20 years since the advent of the RTSA construct but an immediate post-operative rehabilitation with active shoulder range of motion has not been prospectively studied in comparison to the traditional post-operative rehabilitation highlighted by Boudreau et al.12 Investigators plan to prospectively follow our patients following RTSA undergoing an immediate active shoulder rehabilitation (IASR) vs traditional rehabilitation in a randomized controlled fashion. Investigators plan to document clinical outcomes, complications and cost effectiveness out to 1 year.

The study will hopefully fulfill the Triple Aim model for HealthPartners by improving the health of the population, improve the experience of each individual, and make healthcare affordable by decreasing the total cost of care.