title: Shoulder function and work disability after decompression surgery for subacromial impingement syndrome: a randomised controlled trial of physiotherapy exercises and occupational medical assistance.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Surgery for subacromial impingement syndrome is often performed in working age and postoperative physiotherapy exercises are widely used to help restore function. A recent Danish study showed that 10% of a nationwide cohort of patients retired prematurely within two years after surgery. Few studies have compared effects of different postoperative exercise programmes on shoulder function, and no studies have evaluated workplace-oriented interventions to reduce postoperative work disability. This study aims to evaluate the effectiveness of physiotherapy exercises and occupational medical assistance compared with usual care in improving shoulder function and reducing postoperative work disability after arthroscopic subacromial decompression.
  
  
  METHODS
  The study is a mainly pragmatic multicentre randomised controlled trial. The trial is embedded in a cohort study of shoulder patients referred to public departments of orthopaedic surgery in Central Denmark Region. Patients aged ≥18-≤63 years, who still have shoulder symptoms 8-12 weeks after surgery, constitute the study population. Around 130 participants are allocated to: 1) physiotherapy exercises, 2) occupational medical assistance, 3) physiotherapy exercises and occupational medical assistance, and 4) usual care. Intervention manuals allow individual tailoring. Primary outcome measures include Oxford Shoulder Score and sickness absence due to symptoms from the operated shoulder. Randomisation is computerised with allocation concealment by randomly permuted block sizes. Statistical analyses will primarily be performed according to the intention-to-treat principle.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The paper presents the rationale, design, methods, and operational aspects of the Shoulder Intervention Project (SIP). SIP evaluates a new rehabilitation approach, where physiotherapy and occupational interventions are provided in continuity of surgical episodes of care. If successful, the project may serve as a model for rehabilitation of surgical shoulder patients.
  
  
  BACKGROUND
  Current Controlled Trials ISRCTN55768749.
authors: Department of Occupational Medicine, Danish Ramazzini Centre, Regional Hospital West Jutland - University Research Clinic, Herning, Denmark. susasven@rm.dk.
authors: Susanne W
authors: SW
authors: Svendsen
authors: David H
authors: DH
authors: Christiansen
authors: Jens Peder
authors: JP
authors: Haahr
authors: Linda C
authors: LC
authors: Andrea
authors: Poul
authors: P
authors: Frost
mesh_terms: D000041:Absenteeism; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D019299:Decompression, Surgical / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003718:Denmark; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D006233:Persons with Disabilities / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009787:Occupational Medicine / Q000379:methods*; D009790:Occupations; D010147:Pain Measurement; D010149:Postoperative Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D020127:Recovery of Function; D062707:Return to Work; D019534:Shoulder Impingement Syndrome / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation / Q000601:surgery*; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000503:physiopathology*; D020069:Shoulder Pain / Q000453:epidemiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D016474:Weight-Bearing; D055815:Young Adult