The strength of the shoulder was measured isokinetically in forty
patients who had undergone surgical repair of a torn rotator cuff.
Thirty-three patients were tested six months postoperatively and
twenty-four, after a year. There was an increase in strength between the
two intervals (p less than 0.05) for abduction measured at 180 degrees per
second, external rotation measured at 60 and 180 degrees per second, and
flexion measured at 60 degrees per second. On the average, strength reached
80 per cent of normal in abduction and 90 per cent of normal in external
rotation at one year postoperatively. Strength of forward flexion reached
75 per cent of normal. In seventeen patients with paired data (recorded at
both six and twelve months), an increase in strength (p less than 0.05) was
found for each motion and speed that was tested. Patients who had a small
tear scored higher than those who had a large tear, but not to a
significant degree. Whether the operation was done on the dominant
extremity or on the non-dominant one did not appear to affect the results,
nor did the timing of the repair after injury.