Postural balance impairment following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair in the early postoperative period: a prospective cohort study

For patients undergoing arthroscopic rotator cuff repair surgery (RCR), it is crucial to prevent falls to minimize the risk of re-tearing the repaired muscles. Shoulder immobilization during the postoperative period may lead to a decline in postural balance. This prospective cohort study aimed to investigate the postural balance of patients in the early postoperative period following arthroscopic RCR. Thirty-five patients (17 female/18 male, aged 49.56 ± 13.41 years) were assessed preoperatively, on the postoperative day 2, and at the postoperative week 6. Postural balance was evaluated using the Overall Stability Index (OSI), Antero-Posterior Stability Index (API), Medio-Lateral Stability Index (MLI), and Limits of Stability (LOS) tests conducted with the Biodex Balance System. Additionally, the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain score and Constant-Murley Score were recorded. The OSI and API values recorded on both postoperative day 2 and postoperative week 6 were statistically significantly worse than preoperative values. (p = 0.02, p = 0.03, respectively). Conversely, no statistically significant differences were observed across all three measurements for the MLI and LOS values (p > 0.05). The VAS score demonstrated a statistically significant decrease, while the Constant-Murley Score exhibited a statistically significant increase at the final measurement (both p