Effect of Kinesio Taping After Rotator Cuff Surgery (RCR-KT)

May 23, 2026 updated by: Olcay Yavuz

A Randomized Controlled Study Evaluating the Effect of Postoperative Kinesio Taping on Pain and Functional Recovery Following Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair

The aim of this study is to evaluate whether postoperative kinesio taping provides additional benefits in pain reduction and functional recovery in patients who have undergone arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

Patients diagnosed with rotator cuff tear who have undergone surgical treatment will be randomly assigned into two groups. One group will receive standard postoperative rehabilitation together with kinesio taping applied for three weeks, while the control group will receive standard postoperative rehabilitation alone.

Pain levels and shoulder function will be assessed during postoperative follow-up using commonly accepted clinical evaluation scales. The findings of this study are expected to contribute to a better understanding of the role of kinesio taping in the recovery process after rotator cuff surgery.

Study Overview

Status

Active, not recruiting

Conditions

Intervention / Treatment

Detailed Description

This study aims to evaluate the effect of postoperative kinesio taping on pain levels and functional recovery in patients who have undergone arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

Patients aged between 18 and 70 years with clinical suspicion of rotator cuff tear on physical examination and a diagnosis established by magnetic resonance imaging, with the tear confirmed intraoperatively, will be included in the study.

After providing written informed consent, eligible patients will be randomly assigned into two groups in a 1:1 ratio using a computer-generated randomization list.

The intervention group will receive standard postoperative rehabilitation combined with kinesio taping applied for three weeks following surgery. The control group will receive standard postoperative rehabilitation alone.

The study is designed as a single-blinded randomized controlled trial. The investigator responsible for postoperative clinical assessments will be blinded to group allocation in order to minimize evaluation bias.

Pain intensity and functional outcomes will be assessed during postoperative follow-up using validated clinical outcome measures, including the Visual Analog Scale (VAS), the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), and the UCLA shoulder score. Shoulder range of motion will also be recorded.

Patients will be evaluated at postoperative day 1, month 1, and month 3. Clinical outcomes will be compared between the two groups, as well as within each group over time, to assess the recovery process after surgery.

The results of this study are expected to provide further insight into the potential role of kinesio taping as an adjunctive method in postoperative rehabilitation following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

Study Type

Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

50

Phase

  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Locations

  • Turkey (Türkiye)
      • Istanbul, Turkey (Türkiye), 34785
        • Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Individuals aged between 18 and 70 years
  • Patients with clinical suspicion of rotator cuff tear on physical examination and a diagnosis established by magnetic resonance imaging, with intraoperative confirmation
  • Patients with at least two positive impingement tests on physical examination (Jobe, Hawkins-Kennedy, Neer)
  • Patients without a diagnosed psychiatric disorder
  • Patients without a history or current diagnosis of cervical pathology
  • Patients with a Visual Analog Scale (VAS) score of 3 or higher for at least 3 months prior to surgery
  • Patients able to participate regularly in postoperative follow-up for a period of one year
  • Patients who agree to participate voluntarily and provide written informed consent

Exclusion Criteria:

  • History of shoulder dislocation
  • History of fracture involving the shoulder or surrounding structures
  • Inability to comply with postoperative treatment or attend regular follow-up visits
  • Known skin hypersensitivity or allergy to kinesio taping
  • Known rheumatologic or neurological disease
  • History of previous shoulder or peri-shoulder surgery
  • Presence of cervical disc pathology

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Single

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm
Intervention / Treatment
Experimental: Kinesio Taping Group
Participants in this group will receive standard postoperative rehabilitation following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, in addition to kinesio taping applied for three weeks during the postoperative period.
Procedure: Kinesio Taping
Application of kinesio taping to the operated shoulder during the postoperative period as an adjunct to standard rehabilitation.
Procedure: Standard Postoperative Rehabilitation
Standard postoperative rehabilitation program following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.
Active Comparator: Control Group
Participants in this group will receive standard postoperative rehabilitation alone following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, without the application of kinesio taping.
Procedure: Standard Postoperative Rehabilitation
Standard postoperative rehabilitation program following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Pain Intensity (Visual Analog Scale, VAS)
Time Frame: Postoperative day 1, month 1, and month 3.
Pain intensity will be assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for pain, ranging from 0 to 10, where 0 indicates no pain and 10 indicates worst imaginable pain. Higher scores indicate worse pain intensity.
Postoperative day 1, month 1, and month 3.

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Shoulder Function (SPADI Score)
Time Frame: Postoperative day 1, month 1, and month 3.
Shoulder function will be evaluated using the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI), a questionnaire ranging from 0 to 100, where higher scores indicate greater pain and disability and therefore worse shoulder function.
Postoperative day 1, month 1, and month 3.
Shoulder Function (UCLA Shoulder Score)
Time Frame: Postoperative day 1, month 1, and month 3.
Shoulder function will be assessed using the University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA) Shoulder Score during postoperative follow-up. The UCLA Shoulder Score ranges from 0 to 35, with higher scores indicating better shoulder function and less pain.
Postoperative day 1, month 1, and month 3.
Shoulder Range of Motion
Time Frame: Postoperative day 1, month 1, and month 3.
Active shoulder range of motion will be assessed during postoperative follow-up using goniometric measurements in degrees. Higher values indicate greater shoulder mobility and better functional outcome.
Postoperative day 1, month 1, and month 3.

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Olcay Yavuz

Collaborators

Fatih Sultan Mehmet Training and Research Hospital

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

February 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

August 1, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

September 1, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

January 22, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

January 22, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

January 29, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

May 28, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

May 23, 2026

Last Verified

May 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

  • RCR-KT-2026

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

IPD Plan Description

Individual participant data will not be shared other researchers.

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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