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Background: The management of shoulder pain is challenging for primary care clinicians considering that 40% of affected individuals remain symptomatic one year after initial consultation. Developing tailored knowledge translation interventions founded on evidence-based recommendations while also considering patients’ expectations could improve primary care for shoulder pain. The aim of this qualitative study is to explore patients’ expectations and experiences of their primary care consultation for shoulder pain. Methods: In this qualitative study, participants with shoulder pain and having consulted a primary care physician in the past year were interviewed. All the semi-structured interviews were transcribed into verbatims, and inductive thematic analysis was performed to identify themes related to the participants’ expectations and experiences of primary care consultations for shoulder pain. Results: Thirteen participants with shoulder pain were interviewed (8 women, 5 men; mean age 50 ± 12 years). Eleven of them initially consulted a family or an emergency physician, and two participants initially consulted a physiotherapist. Four overarching themes related to patients’ expectations and experiences were identified from our thematic analysis: 1) I can’t sleep because of my shoulder; 2) I need to know what is happening with my shoulder; 3) But… we need to really see what is going on to help me!; and 4) Please take some time with me so I can understand what to do!. Several participants waited until they experienced a high level of shoulder pain before making an appointment since they were not confident about what their family physician could do to manage their condition. Although some participants felt that their physician took the time to listened to their concerns, many were dissatisfied with the limited assessment and education provided by the clinician. Conclusions: Implementing evidence-based recommendations while also considering patients’ expectations is important as it may improve care delivery and patients’ satisfaction with care. Several participants reported that their expectations were not met, especially when it came to the explanations provided. One unexpected finding that emerged from this study was the delay between the onset of shoulder pain and when patients decided to consult their primary care clinician.

bOBJECTIVE:/bTo develop a clinical practice guideline covering the assessment, management, and return to work of adults with rotator cuff disorders.bDESIGN:/bClinical practice guideline.bMETHODS:/bUsing systematic reviews, appraisal of the literature, and an iterative approach to obtain consensus from key stakeholders, clinical recommendations and algorithms were developed in the context of the health care system and work environment of the province of Quebec (Canada).bRESULTS:/bRecommendations (n = 73) and clinical decision algorithms (n = 3) were developed to match the objectives. The initial assessment should include the patient's history, a subjective assessment, and a physical examination. Diagnostic imaging is only necessary in select circumstances. Acetaminophen, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and injection therapies may be useful to reduce pain in the short term. Clinicians should prescribe an active and task-oriented rehabilitation program (exercises and education) to reduce pain and disability in adults with rotator cuff disorders. Subacromial decompression is not recommended to treat rotator cuff tendinopathy. Surgery is appropriate for selected patients with a full-thickness rotator cuff tear. A return-to-work plan should be developed early, in collaboration with the worker and other stakeholders, and must combine multiple strategies to promote return to work.bCONCLUSION:/bThis clinical practice guideline was developed to assist the multidisciplinary team of clinicians who provide health care for adults with a rotator cuff disorder. The CPG guides clinical decisionmaking for diagnosis and treatment, and planning for successful return to work.iJ Orthop Sports Phys Ther 2022;52(10):647-664. Epub: 27 July 2022. doi:10.2519/jospt.2022.11306/i.

Background Advanced practice physiotherapy has emerged as a promising solution to improve health care access because access to orthopedic care is limited in several countries. However, evidence supporting advanced practice physiotherapy models for the management of shoulder pain remains scarce. The purpose of this study was to establish diagnostic, surgical triage, and medical imaging agreement between advanced practice physiotherapists (APPs) and orthopedic surgeons (OSs) for the management of patients with shoulder disorders in an outpatient orthopedic clinic. Methods Patients referred to an OS for shoulder complaints were recruited and independently assessed by an OS and an APP. Each provider completed a standardized form indicating diagnosis, imaging test requests, and triage of surgical candidates. Patient satisfaction with care was recorded with the 9-item Visit-Specific Satisfaction Questionnaire (VSQ-9). Inter-rater concordance was calculated with the Cohen κ, prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted κ, and associated 95% confidence interval (CI). We used χ2 tests to compare differences between providers in terms of treatment plan options and Student t tests to compare patient satisfaction between providers. Results Fifty participants were evaluated. Good diagnostic agreement was observed between providers (κ, 0.80; 95% CI, 0.67-0.93). Agreement for triage of surgical candidates was moderate (κ, 0.46; 95% CI, 0.21-0.71) as APPs tended to refer patients more often to OSs for further evaluation. Imaging test request agreement was moderate as well (κ, 0.42; 95% CI, 0.19-0.66). Patient satisfaction with care was high, with no significant differences found between providers (P = .70). Conclusion APPs could improve access to orthopedic care for shoulder disorders by safely initiating patient care without compromising satisfaction. These results support further development and evaluation of APP care for orthopedic patients presenting with shoulder disorders.

Purpose: Prolonged wait times for total hip and knee arthroplasty have deleterious effects on functional status for the awaiting patients. Telerehabilitation interventions can optimize the delivery...

Axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is a chronic inflammatory disease that predominantly affects the axial skeleton1. AxSpA is a type of SpA that includes nonradiographic as well as radiographic SpA, also referred to as ankylosing spondylitis1. These 2 diagnoses may often be considered 2 stages of the same pathology2. Patients with axSpA usually present with chronic low back and pelvis pain with morning stiffness. However, these symptoms are also present in patients with low back pain of other etiologies. Therefore, the diagnosis of SpA is a challenge for clinicians especially in the earlier stage of the disease3,4. Early diagnosis and management of SpA is important because this pathology can cause major disability to the patients, who are often affected in the third decade of their lives4,5. Moreover, patients with a delayed diagnosis have worse outcomes regarding bony pathologic changes, function or spinal mobility, because of the delay in initiating treatment with tumor necrosis factor blockers5,6. However, timely access to rheumatic care is limited in several countries as we observe a growth of the prevalence of arthritis and a decrease in the number of rheumatologists7. With the growing need for rheumatic and orthopedic care, models of care are emerging that include extended role practitioners (ERP) such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, and nurses. In these models, the ERP are trained as skilled professionals to provide musculoskeletal or rheumatic care and act as the first-contact provider. The ERP may perform medical acts such as making a diagnosis, triaging surgical candidates, or prescribing medication or infiltrations8,9. In response to the problem of access to rheumatologic care, clinicians’ organizations and others have advocated for new models of care with ERP, including physiotherapists10 … Address correspondence to V. Lowry, 5415 Boulevard de l’Assomption, Montreal, Quebec H1T 2M4, Canada. E-mail: veronique.lowry{at}umontreal.ca

In patients suffering from knee osteoarthritis awaiting knee arthroplasty, to measure associations between several selected determinants and pain, disability, health-related quality of life and physical performance.Validated self-reported measures were collected: (1) Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index, (2) Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) and (3) Short-Form 36 (SF-36). Physical performance was also assessed with four validated performance tests. Demographic, socioeconomic, psychosocial and clinical characteristics of the participants were also measured. Multivariate regression analyses were used to evaluate potential associations.Higher fear-avoidance beliefs, greater comorbidities, psychological distress and use of a walking aid were significantly associated with worse pain, function or HRQOL (p 0.05) and explained 12%-35% of the variances of the self-reported measure scores. Pretest pain and change in pain during posttest, greater comorbidities, psychological distress and use of a walking aid were significantly associated with worse performance on the physical tests (p 0.05) and explained 41%-59% of the variances of the different physical tests results.Several determinants were significantly associated with worse pain, disability, health-related quality of life or physical performance. Several of these associations may be considered clinically important, including psychosocial determinants in relation to self-reported measures, but to physical performance as well. Implications for rehabilitation Knee osteoarthritis is a highly prevalent and disabling condition incurring important socioeconomic costs. Several modifiable determinants have been shown to contribute to pain and disability in individuals suffering from knee OA awaiting TKA. Recent studies demonstrated the efficacy of education and rehabilitation (prehabilitation) in individuals awaiting TKA.

© 2020 American Congress of Rehabilitation Medicine Objectives: To perform a systematic review of clinical practice guidelines (CPGs) and semantic analysis of specific clinical recommendations for the management of rotator cuff disorders in adults. Data Sources: A systematic bibliographic search was conducted up until May 2018 in Medline, Embase, and Physiotherapy Evidence Database, or PEDro, databases, in addition to 12 clinical guidelines search engines listed on the Appraisal of Guidelines for Research and Evaluation (AGREE) website. Study Selection: Nine CPGs on the management of rotator cuff disorders in adults or workers, available in English or French, and published from January 2008 onward, were included and screened by 2 independent reviewers. Data Extraction: CPG methodology was assessed with the AGREE II checklist. A semantic analysis was performed to compare the strength of similar recommendations based on their formulation. The recommendations were categorized in a standardized manner considering the following 4 levels: “essential,” “recommended,” “may be recommended,” and “not recommended.” Data Synthesis: Methodological quality was considered high for 3 CPGs and low for 6. All CPGs recommended active treatment modalities, such as an exercise program in the management of rotator cuff disorders. Acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug prescriptions and corticosteroid injections were presented as modalities that may be recommended to decrease pain. Recommendations related to medical imagery and surgical opinion varied among the guidelines. The most commonly recommended return-to-work strategies included intervening early, use of a multidisciplinary approach, and adaptation of work organization. Conclusions: Only 3 CPGs were of high quality. The development of more rigorous CPGs is warranted.

Background Overcrowding in emergency departments (ED) is a major concern worldwide. To answer increasing health care demands, new models of care including advanced practice physiotherapists (APP) have been implemented in EDs. The purpose of this study was to assess diagnostic, treatment and discharge plan concordance between APPs and ED physicians for patients consulting to the ED for minor musculoskeletal disorders (MSKD). Methods Patients presenting to two EDs in Montréal (Canada) with a minor MSKD were recruited and independently assessed by an APP and ED physician. Both providers had to formulate diagnosis, treatment and discharge plans. Cohen’s kappa (κ) and Prevalence and Bias Adjusted Kappas (PABAK) with associated 95%CI were calculated. Chi Square and t-tests were used to compare treatment, discharge plan modalities and patient satisfaction between providers. Results One hundred and thirteen participants were recruited, mean age was 50.3 ± 17.4 years old and 51.3% had an atraumatic MSKD. Diagnostic inter-rater agreement between providers was very good (κ = 0.81; 95% CI: 0.72–0.90). In terms of treatment plan, APPs referred significantly more participants to physiotherapy care than ED physicians (κ = 0.27; PABAK = 0.27; 95% CI: 0.07–0.45; p = 0.003). There was a moderate inter-rater agreement (κ = 0.46; PABAK = 0.64; 95% CI: 0.46–0.77) for discharge plans. High patient satisfaction was reported with no significant differences between providers (p = 0.57). Conclusion There was significant agreement between APPs and ED physicians in terms of diagnosis and discharge plans, but more discrepancies regarding treatment plans. These results tend to support the integration of APPs in ED settings, but further prospective evaluation of the efficiency of these types of models is warranted.

Achieving a neutral static Hip-Knee-Ankle angle (sHKA) measured on radiographs has been considered a factor of success for total knee arthroplasty (TKA). However, recent studies have shown that sHKA seems to have no effect on TKA survivorship. sHKA is not representative of the dynamic loading occurring during gait, unlike the dynamic HKA (dHKA).The primary objective was to see if the sHKA is predictive of the dynamic HKA (dHKA). A secondary objective was to document to what degree the dHKA changes during gait.We analysed 3D knee kinematics during gait of a cohort of 90 healthy individuals with the KneeKG™ system. dHKA was calculated and compared with sHKA. Knees were considered "Stable" if the dHKA remained in valgus or varus for greater than 95% of the corresponding phase, and "Changer" otherwise. Patient characteristics of the Stable and Changer knees were compared to find associated factors.Absolute variation of dHKA during gait was 10.9 ± 5.3° for the whole cohort. The variation was less for the varus knees (10.3 ± 4.8°), than for the valgus knees (12.8 ± 6.1°, p = 0.008). We found low to moderate correlations (r = 0.266 to 0.553, p 0.001) between sHKA and dHKA values for varus knees and no significant correlation for valgus knees. Twenty two percent (36/165) of the knees were considered Changers. The proportion of knees that were Changers was 15% of the varus versus 39% of the valgus (p 0.001).Lower limb radiographic measures of coronal alignment have limited value for predicting dynamic measures of alignment during gait.

Background The accessibility for total joint arthroplasty often comes up against long wait lists, and may lead to deleterious effects for the awaiting patients. This pilot single blind randomized controlled trial aims to evaluate the impact of a telerehabilitation prehabilitation program before a hip or knee arthroplasty compared to in-person prehabilitation or to usual wait for surgery. Methods/design Thirty-six patients on a wait list for a total hip or knee arthroplasty will be recruited and randomly assigned to one of three groups. The in-person prehabilitation group (n = 12) will receive a 12-week rehabilitation program (2 sessions/week) including education, exercises of the lower limb and cardiovascular training. Patients in the tele-prehabilitation group (n = 12) will receive the same intervention using a telecommunication software. The control group (n = 12) will be provided with the hospital's usual documentation before surgery. The Lower Extremity Functional Scale (LEFS) will be the primary outcome measure taken at baseline and at 12 weeks. Secondary measures will include self-reported function and quality of life as well as performance tests. A mixed-model, 2-way repeated-measure ANOVA will be used to analyse the effects of the rehabilitation programs. Discussion This pilot study is the first to evaluate the feasibility and the impact of a telerehabilitation prehabilitation program for patients awaiting a total joint arthroplasty. The results of this pilot-RCT will set the foundations for further research in the fields of rehabilitation and tele-medicine for patients suffering from lower limb osteoarthritis. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT02636751 .

Objective To perform a systematic review of randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on the efficacy of therapeutic exercises for workers suffering from rotator cuff (RC) tendinopathy. Methods A literature search in four bibliographical databases (Pubmed, CINAHL, EMBASE, and PEDro) was conducted from inception up to February 2015. RCTs were included if participants were workers suffering from RC tendinopathy, the outcome measures included work-related outcomes, and at least one of the interventions under study included exercises. The methodological quality of the studies was evaluated with the Cochrane Risk of Bias Assessment tool. Results The mean methodological score of the ten included studies was 54.4%±17.2%. Types of workers included were often not defined, and work-related outcome measures were heterogeneous and often not validated. Three RCTs of moderate methodological quality concluded that exercises were superior to a placebo or no intervention in terms of function and return-to-work outcomes. No significant difference was found between surgery and exercises based on the results of two studies of low to moderate methodological quality. One study of low methodological quality, comparing a workplace-based exercise program focusing on the participants' work demands to an exercise program delivered in a clinical setting, concluded that the work-based intervention was superior in terms of function and return-to-work outcomes. Conclusion There is low to moderate-grade evidence that therapeutic exercises provided in a clinical setting are an effective modality to treat workers suffering from RC tendinopathy and to promote return-to-work. Further high quality studies comparing different rehabilitation programs including exercises in different settings with defined workers populations are needed to draw firm conclusions on the optimal program to treat workers.

Study Design Clinical commentary. Introduction Proximal humeral fractures (PHF) are the third most common fracture in the elderly with an increased incidence expected in the coming years with the aging population, causing an important burden to the healthcare system. The management of PHF is challenging due to its complexity and the wide variety of fractures and treatment options. Purpose The objective of this clinical commentary is to update the available evidence on clinical presentation, classification, imaging, medical treatment, and rehabilitation of acute PHF. Methods/Results/Discussion N/A for clinical commentary. Conclusions The first step to a successful management of PHF is the clinical and radiographic examination of the shoulder, which enables the physician to classify the fracture and choose the appropriate treatment option. The Neer and OA classifications are commonly used and are based on the identification of the fractured parts of the humerus, as well as the displacement of the fragments. In case of non-displaced or minimally displaced fractures, a conservative treatment, consisting of initial immobilization and a rehabilitation program will be chosen. Displaced or unstable fractures will be managed operatively. Different surgical options exist and will vary according to the fracture type, patient's age, and functional needs, followed by rehabilitation. Level of Evidence 5.