title: Patient adherence with postoperative restrictions after rotator cuff repair.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study aimed to measure self-reported patient adherence to postoperative restrictions after rotator cuff repair, to evaluate correlations between adherence and functional outcome, and to identify possible indicators of poor adherence. We believed that poor adherence would correlate with poor functional outcome.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty consecutive patients undergoing repair for rotator cuff tears were included and instructed to wear an abduction brace for 6 weeks after surgery. Functional evaluations, including American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, University of California-Los Angeles shoulder score, and Simple Shoulder Test, were made preoperatively and postoperatively. Patients commented on their adherence with a medical adherence measurement questionnaire.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Average adherence was 88% (range, 59.2-100). There were no significant correlations between adherence and improvement in American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons, University of California-Los Angeles, or Simple Shoulder Test scores after rotator cuff repair (P = .06245, .5891, and .7688). Of the patient demographics analyzed, only smoking status had a positive effect on adherence (P = .00432; coefficient, 9.867). All other demographics, including hand dominance, mechanism of injury, repair complexity, comorbidities, living status, employment status, and age, had no significant effect on self-measured adherence to postoperative restrictions (P = .7876, .5889, .6444, .4190, .0609, .4171, .5402).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Patients' self-reported adherence did not correlate with shoulder outcome as measured on any of 3 functional outcome scores.
authors.affiliation: Department of Emergency Medicine, UCSF School of Medicine, San Francisco, CA, USA.
authors.forename: Luz M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Silverio
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopedics, Stanford University School of Medicine, Stanford, CA, USA. Electronic address: evcheung@stanford.edu.
authors.forename: Emilie V
authors.initials: EV
authors.lastname: Cheung
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001915:Braces; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010349:Patient Compliance; D011182:Postoperative Care; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular; D020127:Recovery of Function; D017006:Rotator Cuff / Q000601:surgery*; D000070636:Rotator Cuff Injuries; D057566:Self Report; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Adherence; demographics; functional outcome; indicators; physical therapy; postoperative; restriction; rotator cuff repair