Should you sling it or skip it after shoulder surgery?
NCT ID NCT06092996
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study looks at whether wearing a sling for three weeks after reverse shoulder replacement is better than wearing it for only three days. About 100 people having shoulder surgery at Duke University will be randomly assigned to one of the two groups. Researchers will track complications and shoulder function over two years to see which approach leads to a smoother recovery.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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100 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Dec 2023
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2028
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.
- Ages
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18 to 100 years
- 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: * Patient is scheduled to undergo a primary reverse shoulder arthroplasty procedure * Patient voluntarily consents to participate in the study and has the mental and physical ability to participate in the study, fill out subjective questionnaires, return for follow-up visits, and comply with prescribed post-operative physical therapy * Patient meets indications for primary reverse shoulder arthroplasty for the following diagnosis * Rotator cuff arthropathy * Glenohumeral arthritis * Patient is between 18-100 years old * Patient is English speaking Exclusion Criteria: * A history of ipsilateral shoulder arthroplasty * A history of shoulder septic arthritis * A history of a proximal humeral fracture * Chronic locked dislocation * Rheumatoid arthritis * Tumors * Axillary nerve damage * Non-functioning deltoid muscle * Glenoid vault deficiency precluding baseplate fixation * Infection and neuropathic joints * Known or suspected non-compliance, drug or alcohol abuse * Patients incapable of judgement or under tutelage * Inability to follow the procedures of the study, e.g. due to language problems, psychological disorders, dementia, contraindication for imaging etc. * The subject is related to investigator as family members, employees, or other dependent persons
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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.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Duke University
Durham, North Carolina, 27708, United States
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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