Effects of Adding Muscle Energy Technique to Joint Mobilization on Pain, Range of Motion, and Shoulder Function After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: An Observational Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND Although muscle energy technique (MET) and joint mobilization (JM) are individually used in shoulder rehabilitation, evidence for their combined application following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (ARCR) remains limited. This study evaluated whether adding MET to JM yields superior outcomes compared with JM in patients after ARCR. MATERIAL AND METHODS Forty patients who underwent ARCR were enrolled in this observational cohort study and assigned to either a control group (n=20) receiving JM or an experimental group (n=20) receiving MET in addition to the same JM. Shoulder function was assessed using the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) shoulder rating scale, pain using the visual analog scale (VAS), and joint range of motion using active range of motion (AROM). Assessments were performed at baseline and after 4 weeks. RESULTS Baseline characteristics were comparable between groups (all P>0.05). Both groups improved significantly after the 4-week intervention (all P<0.001). However, the experimental group demonstrated significantly greater gains: lower VAS scores (1.45±0.69 vs 2.35±0.81, P<0.001), greater AROM in all directions (flexion P=0.021; abduction and external rotation both P=0.003; internal rotation P = 0.006), and higher UCLA shoulder rating scale scores (23.15±2.03 vs 19.05±2.26, P 0.001). CONCLUSIONS Combined MET and JM significantly improved shoulder AROM, reduced pain, and enhanced shoulder motor function compared with JM in patients after ARCR.