Clinical and Functional Outcomes of Patients with Rotator Cuff Tear Managed Conservatively: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study.
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.51168/sjhrafrica.v7i2.2811Keywords:
Rotator cuff tear, Conservative management, Shoulder pain, Physiotherapy, Constant-Murley score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, Functional outcomeAbstract
Background:
Rotator cuff tear is a frequent cause of shoulder pain, restricted overhead activity, and functional impairment among middle-aged and older adults. Conservative management remains an important initial treatment option, particularly for partial-thickness and small-to-medium tears.
Objectives:
To evaluate clinical and functional outcomes of patients with rotator cuff tears managed conservatively and to assess improvement in pain, shoulder range of motion, and functional scores during follow-up.
Methods:
This hospital-based cross-sectional observational study included 80 patients with clinically and radiologically diagnosed rotator cuff tears treated conservatively at Government Medical College, Jangaon, Telangana, India, from August 2025 to January 2026. Conservative care included analgesics, activity modification, home-based exercises, supervised physiotherapy, local physical modalities, and corticosteroid injection in selected patients. Pain and function were assessed using the visual analogue scale, Constant-Murley score, American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons score, and shoulder range of motion at baseline, 3 months, and 6 months.
Results:
The mean age was 52.8 ± 9.6 years, and males constituted 56.3%. Partial-thickness tear was present in 72.5%, and the supraspinatus was the most commonly involved tendon. The mean VAS pain score decreased from 7.1 ± 1.2 at baseline to 3.2 ± 1.4 at 6 months. The Constant-Murley score improved from 48.6 ± 10.8 to 72.4 ± 12.5, and the ASES score improved from 45.8 ± 11.6 to 76.2 ± 13.4. An excellent or good outcome was observed in 72.5% of patients.
Conclusion:
Conservative management produced significant pain reduction and functional improvement in most patients with rotator cuff tears.
Recommendations:
Structured rehabilitation with regular follow-up should be considered as an initial management strategy in suitable patients.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Dr. Yugandhar Polepaka, Dr. Balaji Jarpala, Dr. Ramesh Ramineni
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