title: Electromyographic analysis of the rotator cuff in postoperative shoulder patients during passive rehabilitation exercises.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Numerous rehabilitation protocols exist for postoperative rotator cuff repairs. Because the goal of early rehabilitation is to prevent postoperative adhesions while protecting the repaired tendons, it would be advantageous to know which range-of-motion exercises allow the rotator cuff to remain the most passive in a painful, guarded, postsurgical shoulder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty-six subjects who had undergone subacromial decompression, distal clavicle resection, or a combination of both procedures volunteered to participate within the first 4 days after surgery. Fine-wire electrodes were inserted into the subject's supraspinatus (SS) and infraspinatus (IS). Muscle activity was recorded at resting baseline (BL) and during 14 exercises that have been found in the passive phase of rotator cuff protocols and tested in healthy subjects. Each exercise was compared with BL activity as well as with other exercises in the same movement group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The SS remained as passive as BL during therapist- and self-assisted external rotation, therapist-assisted elevation, pendulums, and isometric internal rotation and adduction. The IS was activated greater than BL for all 14 exercises studied.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Of the 14 exercises studied, 6 allowed the SS and 0 allowed the IS to remain as passive as quiet-stance BL in postsurgical subacromial decompression/distal clavicle resection patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, The Orthopedic Specialty Hospital, Murray, UT, USA. cindy.murphy@imail.org
authors.forename: Cynthia A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: William J
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: McDermott
authors.forename: Roger K
authors.initials: RK
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: Scott E
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: Stephanie A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Baxter
mesh_terms: D004576:Electromyography; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012046:Rehabilitation; D017006:Rotator Cuff / Q000502:physiology* / Q000601:surgery*