When is shoulder surgery worth it? patients weigh in
NCT ID NCT07779876
First seen Aug 21, 2026 · Last updated Aug 21, 2026
Summary
This study asks people with rotator cuff tears how much improvement they would need from surgery or supervised exercise to consider it worthwhile, compared with simpler options. Participants answer survey questions about their pain and preferences. The goal is to help guide treatment decisions by understanding what patients truly value.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- rotator cuff repair surgery and supervised exercise therapy (compared with unsupervised exercise)
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could help doctors and patients decide when surgery or supervised exercise is truly worth it, avoiding unnecessary procedures and costs.
- What could go wrong
- This is an observational survey, not a treatment trial, so it won't prove which treatment works better. The answers are hypothetical and may not reflect real-world decisions.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 104 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Expected to start
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Oct 2026
An estimate. Start dates often move.
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
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Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
Who is studied
Patients who applied to the hospital's physical therapy unit and were referred for treatment in the physical therapy unit
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Over 18 years of age * Diagnosed with rotator cuff tear by a specialist doctor * Having pain and functional limitation for at least 4 weeks * Having a pain level of 3 or higher on the Numeric Pain Scale (NPS) Exclusion Criteria: * Presence of another pathology in the affected shoulder region * Presence of radiculopathy originating from the cervical region or internal organs * Presence of neurological, rheumatological, or oncological disease * Insufficient cooperation of the patient with the procedures to be performed within the scope of the study
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.