Abstract
Purpose
To describe the main features of the rehabilitation protocols for RC disease based on the phases of tendon healing and to investigate about the use of wearable devices as monitoring systems.
Methods
We performed a comprehensive search of PubMed, Medline, Cochrane, CINAHL, and EMBASE databases using various combination of the keywords “rotator cuff,” “rotator cuff tear,” “rehabilitation protocol,” “accelerated,” “conservative,” “stiffness,” “exercises,” and “wearable devices.” All articles concerning precision orthopaedic rehabilitation therapy in rotator cuff disease were retrieved.
Results
To date, rehabilitation protocols are not comparable due to wide heterogeneity of RC diseases. Wearable technologies are becoming a revolutionary tool for movement and posture monitoring.
Conclusion
Rehabilitation protocols for RC disease should be tailored on the basis of the different phases of tendon healing. Wearable devices hold the promise to offer a new outlook for long-term follow-up during the postoperative period providing information to the clinician about patient’s status.
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Funding
This work has been funded by the Italian Ministry of Health in the framework of RICERCA FINALIZZATA 2016 (PE-2016-02364894).
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All the authors contributed to the study conception and design.
Conceptualization: Eugenio Guglielmelli and Umile Giuseppe Longo.
Methodology: Vincenzo Denaro.
Formal analysis and investigation: Laura Risi Ambrogioni.
Resources: Alessandra Berton.
Data curation: Arianna Carnevale, Vincenzo Candela.
Writing – original draft preparation: Laura Risi Ambrogioni, Arianna Carnevale.
Writing – review and editing: Arianna Carnevale, Laura Risi Ambrogioni.
Supervision: Umile Giuseppe Longo, Emiliano Schena.
Project administration: Emiliano Schena.
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Longo, U.G., Risi Ambrogioni, L., Berton, A. et al. Physical therapy and precision rehabilitation in shoulder rotator cuff disease. International Orthopaedics (SICOT) 44, 893–903 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-020-04511-2
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00264-020-04511-2