Postsurgical shoulder strength in the older patient.

Following surgery, a goal of rehabilitation is to return the surgical extremity to its original strength. However, for the older rotator cuff repair patient, we are unsure if this is a realistic goal. The purpose of this study was to determine the quality of shoulder strength in older males who had undergone rotator cuff repair and acromioplasty surgery and to determine if test position and test velocity effects for rotation at the shoulder existed. Nine patients (mean age = 60.8 years) were tested bilaterally on the Cybex II isokinetic dynamometer for two movements (internal/external rotation), two velocities (60 degrees/sec, 120 degrees/sec), and two positions (neutral, 90 degrees abduction) to determine the peak torques for the shoulders. Following a three-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) with repeated measures, results indicated that the surgical shoulder had torque values approximating the nonsurgical shoulder and that test position had no significant effect on the internal or external rotation torques produced. As seen with nonshoulder-impaired younger subjects, peak torque decreased with increased test velocities. It was concluded that the older rotator cuff repair patient may be expected to attain a level of strength in the surgical shoulder similar to or exceeding the nonsurgical shoulder and that either test position recommended by Cybex for testing of the shoulder rotators was acceptable. Clinically, a full functional recovery similar to the nonsurgical shoulder should be expected in the older patient with postsurgical rotator cuff repair and acromioplasty.