Using a mobile app for self-rehabilitation after rotator cuff surgery
Official title: Using a Mobile APP to Support Home-based Rehabilitation for Patients With Rotator Cuff Tear After Arthroscopic Repair
Run by Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital. · NCT05102968 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study tests if using a mobile app for rehabilitation after rotator cuff surgery can help patients recover as well as traditional in-person therapy.
Quick facts
| Study type | Interventional |
|---|---|
| Ages | 20 Years to 70 Years |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 60 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital. Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Kaohsiung City) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | March 22, 2019 |
| Main results expected | December 31, 2026 |
| Study ends | December 31, 2026 |
| Registry record updated | November 2, 2021 |
| Trial ID | NCT05102968 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Ideal candidates are patients with small to medium-sized full-thickness rotator cuff tears or specific subscapularis tears who are willing to participate in a two-year follow-up.
✕Probably not a fit
Patients with pre-operative shoulder stiffness, irreparable cuff tears, prior shoulder surgeries, or systemic autoimmune diseases may not benefit from this study.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This study evaluates the effectiveness of a mobile application designed to support home-based rehabilitation for patients recovering from arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Participants are randomly assigned to either a home-based rehabilitation group using the app or a supervised rehabilitation group receiving in-person therapy. The goal is to determine if the outcomes from the app-supported rehabilitation are comparable to traditional supervised methods. The study addresses the common complications of joint stiffness and cuff re-tear that can occur post-surgery, while also considering the financial burden of supervised rehabilitation.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this approach could provide a cost-effective rehabilitation option that maintains or improves recovery outcomes for patients after rotator cuff surgery.
How similar studies have gone: Previous studies have shown that home-based rehabilitation can yield comparable outcomes to supervised rehabilitation in similar contexts, suggesting potential for success in this approach.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * patients had a small to medium-sized (less than 3 cm) full-thickness rotator cuff tear or, a Lafosse type II or III subscapularis tear diagnosed and repaired by shoulder arthroscope * patients were willing to consent to post-operative rehabilitation randomization and commit to the two-year clinical follow-up period. Exclusion Criteria: * pre-operative shoulder stiffness (defined as passive forward elevation less than 100 degrees and external rotation loss over 50% comparing to the contralateral side) * an intra-operative irreparable cuff tear * a prior ipsilateral shoulder surgery * a history of systemic auto-immune disease or septic arthritis of the ipsilateral shoulder
Where it's running
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Kaohsiung Veterns General Hospital
Kaohsiung City, Taiwan Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Futing Huang, MD
- Email: fthuang@vghks.gov.tw
- Phone: 886-910775551
Similar studies
Other studies for the same condition or treatment. Recruiting studies are listed first.
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This study tests a combined surgical approach to see if it helps tendon retear rates in adults with large rotator cuff tears that are hard to repair.
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This study tests whether biomarkers in shoulder tissue and synovial fluid can predict whether a rotator cuff repair will heal, using MRI after surgery to compare those who heal with those who don’t.
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We will see if age-related muscle loss (sarcopenia) is linked to the location and type of rotator cuff tears in adults aged 40–75 with rotator cuff syndrome.
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This study sees if people under 65 who had cervical radiculopathy before rotator cuff repair have different shoulder function and quality of life after surgery compared with those who did not.
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.