Functional Upper Extremity Workspace in Pre-Operative Versus Post-Operative Rotator Cuff Repair
Mentor 1
Alyssa Schnorenberg
Mentor 2
Brooke Slavens
Location
Union Wisconsin Room
Start Date
27-4-2018 1:00 PM
Description
An estimated 25% of US adults will experience a rotator cuff tear, negatively impacting their ability to perform daily functional tasks. About 300,000 rotator cuff surgeries are performed each year in order to increase range of motion (ROM) and enable return to the workforce. The purpose of this research is to identify the functional ROM of the glenohumeral (GH) joint before surgical repair and during the post-operative recovery period. Three subjects completed 3 trials each of simple ROM tasks, including abduction, external rotation, and flexion, in which they reached their injured arm as far as possible in the instructed direction. A pre-operative visit occurred 0-12 weeks before surgery, and two post-operative visits occurred at 9-12 weeks and 22-30 weeks after surgery. A 15 camera Vicon T-Series Motion Capture System tracked 27 reflective markers to collect upper extremity kinematic data of each of these motions. A custom upper extremity biomechanical model was then applied to calculate the three-dimensional angles of the GH joint during the task. Peak angles and the ROMs were calculated for each task, and group averages were compared across visits. It is expected that during the pre-operative visit, the injured arm will not be able to reach as far and have limited ROM, but over the course of the post-operative visits, the injured arm will improve. Little to no improvements may indicate the recovery period is longer than expected. Additionally, improvements seen here, but not in the performance of meaningful tasks, such as combing the hair, may provide insight to therapists regarding compensation and adaptation, or the mental state of the individual, which may be affecting their ability to perform such tasks. Redirection in therapy may benefit individuals that are not progressing during the recovery period and may allow them to return to their functional ability more quickly.
Functional Upper Extremity Workspace in Pre-Operative Versus Post-Operative Rotator Cuff Repair
Union Wisconsin Room
An estimated 25% of US adults will experience a rotator cuff tear, negatively impacting their ability to perform daily functional tasks. About 300,000 rotator cuff surgeries are performed each year in order to increase range of motion (ROM) and enable return to the workforce. The purpose of this research is to identify the functional ROM of the glenohumeral (GH) joint before surgical repair and during the post-operative recovery period. Three subjects completed 3 trials each of simple ROM tasks, including abduction, external rotation, and flexion, in which they reached their injured arm as far as possible in the instructed direction. A pre-operative visit occurred 0-12 weeks before surgery, and two post-operative visits occurred at 9-12 weeks and 22-30 weeks after surgery. A 15 camera Vicon T-Series Motion Capture System tracked 27 reflective markers to collect upper extremity kinematic data of each of these motions. A custom upper extremity biomechanical model was then applied to calculate the three-dimensional angles of the GH joint during the task. Peak angles and the ROMs were calculated for each task, and group averages were compared across visits. It is expected that during the pre-operative visit, the injured arm will not be able to reach as far and have limited ROM, but over the course of the post-operative visits, the injured arm will improve. Little to no improvements may indicate the recovery period is longer than expected. Additionally, improvements seen here, but not in the performance of meaningful tasks, such as combing the hair, may provide insight to therapists regarding compensation and adaptation, or the mental state of the individual, which may be affecting their ability to perform such tasks. Redirection in therapy may benefit individuals that are not progressing during the recovery period and may allow them to return to their functional ability more quickly.
