Assessment of 3D Angular Arm Velocity During Elevation in People With Subacromial Pain Syndrome Pre-post Rehabilitation: a Pilot Study (CoiFFaX)

Clinicians need accurate, simple and interpretable indicators to evaluate shoulder 3 performance, including movement speed. The primary objective was to assess the changes in mean 4 angular velocity norm and velocity variation measured by an innovative score, after rehabilitation. The 5 secondary objective was to assess the relationship between changes in both velocity variables and in 6 shoulder pain and activity limitation.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Subacromial Pain Syndrome
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Assessment of 3D angular arm velocity during elevation

Detailed Description

Current clinical assessment of shoulder pain focus on range of motion (RoM), clinical tests and disability, but lack information on shoulder performance. Shoulder performance is an imprecise multidimensional concept including RoM, accuracy, smoothness, and velocity. Clinicians need simple and accurate methods to measure shoulder performance.

Rotator cuff lesions are the most common shoulder pathologies. These pathologies include a wide range of soft-tissue conditions surrounding the humeral head that are grouped under the term subacromial pain syndrome (SPS). SPS is associated with pain, decreased active shoulder elevation, activity limitation and decreased quality of life. Physiotherapy is the first-line treatment for chronic SPS for pain and function.

Inertial measurement units (IMUs) have been used to assess velocity variables in people with SPS. The intra- and inter-observer reliability of kinematic temporal variables measured using IMUs is excellent in people with shoulder disorders. Most studies assessed functional arm activities rather than analytic arm elevation movements that are typically evaluated in clinical practice. Furthermore, they used rather complex kinematic temporal parameters (cumulative velocity distribution, power, moment or asymmetry scores) that can lack interpretability for clinicians. We wanted to employ accurate and clinically meaningful velocity variables used to assess arm movements during standard clinical shoulder examinations.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 13

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• France
  • IDF
    • Paris, IDF, France, 75014
      • Service de Rééducation et de Réadaptation de l'Appareil Locomoteur et des Pathologies du Rachis, Hôpital Cochin

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: No

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Unilateral subacromial pain syndrome diagnosed by a physician using clinical tests and imaging, enrolled in a usual care 4-session rehabilitation program in the PMR outpatient department.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

1. Age ≥18 years,
2. unilateral SPS diagnosed by a physician using clinical tests and imaging,
3. enrolled in a usual care 4-session rehabilitation program in the PMR outpatient department.

Exclusion Criteria:

1. shoulder fracture or dislocation or shoulder surgery (with implant) <1 year previously,
2. SLAP lesion,
3. neurological pathology,
4. cervico-brachial neuralgia.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Number of groups / cohorts

1

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort	Intervention / Treatment
Subacromial pain syndrome; 1	Other: Assessment of 3D angular arm velocity during elevation; Assessment of 3D angular arm velocity during elevation

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Mean angular velocity norm in degrees per second	The angular velocity norm provides a measure of velocity during arm elevation, taking into account the 3 movement axes and not only the main movement axis.	Day 0
Mean angular velocity norm in degrees per second	The angular velocity norm provides a measure of velocity during arm elevation, taking into account the 3 movement axes and not only the main movement axis.	Day 21
Velocity variation during movement time	By normalizing the cumulative velocity change by the highest frame-to-frame variation, this metric captures the overall irregularity of motion.	Day 0
Velocity variation during movement time	By normalizing the cumulative velocity change by the highest frame-to-frame variation, this metric captures the overall irregularity of motion.	Day 21

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Numeric Rating Scale	Pain intensity assessed on a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS, 0-100, 0: no pain, 100: maximum pain imaginable)	Day 0
Numeric Rating Scale	Pain intensity assessed on a Numeric Rating Scale (NRS, 0-100, 0: no pain, 100: maximum pain imaginable)	Day 21
Quick DASH Questionnaire	Measurement of disability and symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders related to upper limb impairment (DASH self-report questionnaire; 30 = no functional impairment to 150 = maximum impairment)	Day 0
Quick DASH Questionnaire	Measurement of disability and symptoms of musculoskeletal disorders related to upper limb impairment (DASH self-report questionnaire; 30 = no functional impairment to 150 = maximum impairment)	Day 21
SPADI self-administered questionnaire	Pain and disability (SPADI self-administered questionnaire), pain subscore (0: no pain, 50: maximum imaginable pain) and disability subscore (0: no disability, 80: maximum signs of disability).	Day 0
SPADI self-administered questionnaire	Pain and disability (SPADI self-administered questionnaire), pain subscore (0: no pain, 50: maximum imaginable pain) and disability subscore (0: no disability, 80: maximum signs of disability).	Day 21
FABQ self-administered questionnaire on shoulder pain	Misconceptions and apprehension regarding physical activities and work (FABQ-Shoulder self-report questionnaire), physical activities subscore (questions 2, 3, 4, 5: 0 = no apprehension/misconceptions, 24 = maximum signs of apprehension/misconceptions) and work subscore (questions 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15: 0 = no apprehension/misconceptions, 42 = maximum signs of apprehension/misconceptions)	Day 0
FABQ self-administered questionnaire on shoulder pain	Misconceptions and apprehension regarding physical activities and work (FABQ-Shoulder self-report questionnaire), physical activities subscore (questions 2, 3, 4, 5: 0 = no apprehension/misconceptions, 24 = maximum signs of apprehension/misconceptions) and work subscore (questions 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12, 15: 0 = no apprehension/misconceptions, 42 = maximum signs of apprehension/misconceptions)	Day 21

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): March 1, 2025
• Primary Completion (Actual): June 30, 2025
• Study Completion (Actual): July 30, 2025

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: June 3, 2026
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 3, 2026
• First Posted (Actual): June 9, 2026

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): June 9, 2026
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: June 3, 2026
• Last Verified: June 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: rehabilitation; shoulder; inertial measurement unit; velocity; subacromial pain syndrome
• Other Study ID Numbers: APHP260761

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: UNDECIDED

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No