Medicine and Health Sciences Commons^™

A Literature Review Of Studies Evaluating Rotator Cuff Activation During Early Rehabilitation Exercises For Post-Op Rotator Cuff Repair, Samuel N. Wells, Jodi R. Schilz, Timothy L. Uhl, A. Burke Gurney

Physical Therapy Faculty Publications

Despite the modern advancement of surgical repair equipment and techniques, many rotator cuff repairs do not clinically heal. Prescribed rehabilitative exercises must appropriately load the repaired muscle-tendon complex to promote healing and prevent capsular adhesions without damaging the repair. The clinician must possess an understanding of the anatomy and physiology of the healing rotator cuff, and understand the importance of the plane of movement, speed of the movement, position of the extremity, level of assistance, and type of resistance used. Electromyography (EMG) provides a useful means to determine muscle activation levels during specific exercises. Descriptions of specific exercises and EMG …