Effect of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound on postoperative rehabilitation of rotator cuff tears: Protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: Rotator cuff tears are a common shoulder injury that significantly impacts patients' daily lives and work abilities. Although surgical treatment methods for rotator cuff tears have been continuously improved with advances in medical technology, postoperative rehabilitation remains challenging. Therefore, finding effective rehabilitation treatments is crucial for improving patient prognosis and enhancing quality of life. This study will aim to systematically evaluate the impact of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS) on postoperative rehabilitation of rotator cuff tears, comprehensively assessing the efficacy and safety of LIPUS in postoperative recovery.
Methods: This protocol will search multiple databases including PubMed/MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane Library, CNKI, Scopus, and Web of Science to identify randomized controlled trials related to LIPUS for postoperative rehabilitation of rotator cuff tears. The search will encompass literature published from the inception of the databases up to April 2024. Methodological quality assessment and data extraction will be conducted using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions and PRISMA guidelines. Meta-analysis will be performed on appropriate studies using either random-effects or fixed-effects models, and subgroup analyses will be conducted to explore potential heterogeneity. Studies meeting the inclusion criteria will be included in the analysis. All analyses will be performed using Stata version 16.0.
Results: The incidence of rotator cuff tear rates will be assessed by imaging techniques such as MRI or ultrasound. Pain intensity will be scored using standardized pain assessment scales, such as the Visual Analog Scale (VAS). Improved range of motion (ROM) in shoulder flexion, abduction, and rotation. Functional outcomes will be evaluated using effective measures such as Constant-Murley scores (CMS) and shoulder joint scores by American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES). Adverse events associated with LIPUS therapy, including skin irritation, increased pain, or any other complications. Subgroup analysis will also be carried out if possible.
Discussion and Conclusion: Following the meta-analysis, we will assess the overall effect of LIPUS on postoperative rehabilitation of rotator cuff tears, and further explore its impact on aspects such as pain relief, functional improvement, and postoperative complications. It is anticipated that this study will provide comprehensive evidence regarding the role of LIPUS in postoperative rehabilitation of rotator cuff tears, guiding clinical practice and future research. The resultant manuscript will be submitted for publication in a peer-reviewed journal.
Protocol Registration Number: CRD42024530798.
Competing Interests: On behalf of all authors, we declare that we have no competing interests that could be perceived to bias this work. Specifically: Financial Support: The project was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (82172423), the Bejing Municipal Natural Science Foundation (7222209), and the Clinical queue construction project of Peking University Third Hospital (BYSYDL2022006). This funding source had no role in the design of the study, the collection, analysis, or interpretation of data, the writing of the manuscript, or the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. Any other funding sources received for this work are also declared in the Funding Information section of the submission form. Non-Financial Competing Interests: None of the authors have any non-financial competing interests to disclose that could be perceived to influence the objectivity or validity of this work. This includes any affiliations, patents, products in development or marketed products, etc., that could be considered relevant to the submitted manuscript. Author Contributions: The authors have all contributed to the work in accordance with the ICMJE authorship criteria. Any conflicts of interest related to author contributions have been resolved and are not deemed to bias the research. We confirm that this statement is accurate and complete to the best of our knowledge, and any funding sources listed in the Funding Information section of the submission form are also declared in this Financial Disclosure statement.
(Copyright: © 2024 Xue et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)