# Shoulder Pain, Rotator Cuff Tear, Coordination, and Mobility in Aging

> **NIH NIH R03** · UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE · 2021 · $154,500

## Abstract

Project Summary:
Mobility limitation is a major burden to public health, affecting one-third of adults 65 years and older. Mobility
limitation is predictive of disability, hospitalization, falls and mortality in older populations. The contribution of
lower limb dysfunction to mobility limitation is well established. The influence of upper-limb dysfunction on
mobility performance is less well understood. Shoulder pain and rotator cuff tear are common in adults 65
years and older. Well-known manifestations of shoulder pain or rotator cuff tear include lower performance on
subjective measures of activities of daily living and lower performance on objective measures of shoulder
strength and range of motion. Recent studies suggest that impaired rhythmic interlimb coordination variability
between shoulders is associated with mobility limitation in healthy older adult populations. We hypothesize that
the presence of shoulder pain or rotator cuff tear alters the rhythmic interlimb coordination variability between
shoulders in community-dwelling older adults. The first aim of the proposal investigates the association of
rhythmic interlimb coordination variability between shoulders during overground walking with mobility
performance in a population which includes community-dwelling older adults with shoulder pain or rotator cuff
tear. The second aim of the proposal investigates the association of shoulder pain or rotator cuff tear with
rhythmic interlimb coordination variability during overground walking. The knowledge gained from this proposal
will inform future studies designed (1) to test novel strategies for identifying community-dwelling older adults
who are vulnerable to develop mobility limitation and (2) to test novel interventions designed to slow functional
declines in community-dwelling older adults with mobility limitation.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10260490
- **Project number:** 5R03AG067927-02
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND BALTIMORE
- **Principal Investigator:** DERIK L DAVIS
- **Activity code:** R03 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2021
- **Award amount:** $154,500
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-11 → 2023-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10260490

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10260490, Shoulder Pain, Rotator Cuff Tear, Coordination, and Mobility in Aging (5R03AG067927-02). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10260490. Licensed CC0.

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