# Predicting the Outcome of Exercise Therapy for Treatment of Rotator Cuff Tears

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH · 2020 · $412,483

## Abstract

Project Summary
Rotator cuff tears are a significant clinical problem, resulting in 30% of all visits to orthopaedic surgeons and
over 150,000 surgical procedures per year. Rotator cuff tears occur frequently in the middle-to-late aged
population and can cause severe pain, disability and activity limitations Exercise therapy is typically prescribed
for initial treatment of rotator cuff tears, and is often effective at relieving symptoms. However, it fails in 25-50%
of cases, requiring surgical intervention. The factors contributing to a successful outcome of exercise therapy
are not precisely known, buy may include the size and location of the rotator cuff tear, range of motion,
strength, pain level, and repetitive loading due to abnormal glenohumeral kinematics. Therefore, the overall
goal of the proposed project is to conduct a prospective observational cohort study to describe the effects of
exercise therapy in terms of patient-reported and structural outcomes, as well as to identify predictors of these
outcomes in patients with an isolated supraspinatus tear. We will quantify in vivo glenohumeral joint motion;
tear size/location using ultrasound, muscle strength; and patient-reported outcomes in subjects before and
after an exercise therapy program. Our preliminary data have shown that: 1) the location of full-thickness
rotator cuff tears in the supraspinatus tendon has an effect on tear propagation and 2) exercise therapy can
improve in vivo glenohumeral joint stability during arm elevation. The project will address three specific aims:
Aim 1) Identify factors that predict patient-reported outcomes and tear propagation after a standardized 12-
week supervised exercise therapy program. The ability of glenohumeral joint contact path length; initial tear
size; internal/external range of motion and muscle degeneration to predict patient-reported outcomes and tear
size/propagation at 0, 6 and 12 months after exercise therapy will be examined; Aim 2) Investigate effects of
tear location on tear propagation and glenohumeral kinematics; Aim 3) Determine the relationship between
tear propagation and failure of the exercise program to improve patient-reported outcomes and/or undergo
surgery within two years. The resulting data will be used to design future randomized clinical trials to
determine whether patients should initially undergo non-operative or surgical treatment, based on patient-
reported and clinician-measured parameters as well as biomechanical measurements at time of diagnosis. The
long-term goal of this research is the development of individualized treatment plans for improving outcomes
while reducing time and expense of care. Restoration of shoulder function after rotator cuff tear is essential for
maintaining a healthy, active lifestyle, particularly in our aging population.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 9966885
- **Project number:** 5R01AR069503-05
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH AT PITTSBURGH
- **Principal Investigator:** Richard E Debski
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $412,483
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2016-09-01 → 2022-05-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/9966885

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 9966885, Predicting the Outcome of Exercise Therapy for Treatment of Rotator Cuff Tears (5R01AR069503-05). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-27 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/9966885. Licensed CC0.

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