What factors influence recovery with non-surgical care for rotator cuff shoulder pain?
Profiling Patients With Rotator Cuff Related Shoulder Pain: What Factors Influence Outcomes With Non-operative Care in a Secondary Care Specialist Shoulder Clinic?
This project will try to find which patient characteristics predict who improves with non-surgical care for rotator cuff related shoulder pain.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | 150 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of Limerick Academic / other |
| Locations | 1 site (Limerick) |
| Trial ID | NCT07360847 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This prospective cohort will enroll adults attending a secondary-care shoulder clinic in Croom, Limerick, who are judged suitable for non-operative management. Participants will complete baseline questionnaires on pain, disability, quality of life, and personal factors such as age, sex, comorbidities and symptom duration, then follow their prescribed non-surgical care. Outcomes will be re-measured at six months and analyzed to identify which baseline factors are associated with better or worse recovery. The results are intended to inform targeted treatment pathways and reduce delays or unnecessary surgical referrals.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Adults with a clinical diagnosis of rotator cuff related shoulder pain who are referred for non-operative management at the Croom Orthopaedic Hospital and can consent and complete English-language questionnaires.
Not a fit: People under 18, those with non-rotator cuff shoulder pathologies, patients already undergoing shoulder surgery, or those unable to complete consent/questionnaires in English are not eligible and unlikely to benefit from this work.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the study could help match patients to the non-surgical treatments most likely to work for them, shorten ineffective care pathways, and reduce unnecessary surgeries.
How similar studies have performed: Non-surgical management for rotator cuff disorders is supported by prior trials, and some cohort studies have reported predictors such as higher baseline pain, longer symptom duration, and comorbidities, but robust prognostic data from secondary-care clinics remain limited.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Adults * Clinically diagnosed Rotator Cuff Related Shoulder Pain (disorder of the rotator cuff muscles and/or sub acromial space). * Being referred to primary care physiotherapy or other non-surgical management. Exclusion Criteria: * Under 18 * Non-rotator cuff related pathologies of the shoulder such as fractures, frozen shoulder, concomitant neck pain. * Person undergoing shoulder surgery. * Neither the patient nor carer can communicate in English sufficiently to complete consent or baseline assessment.
Where this trial is running
Limerick
- Croom Orthopaedic Hospital — Limerick, Ireland (Recruiting)
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Roisin Cahill, MSc Physiotherapy
- Email: cahill.roisin@ul.ie
- Phone: +353 858216254
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.