Compressive Cryotherapy or Ice Wrap After Shoulder Arthroscopy?

The use of compressive cryotherapy did not offer significant benefits compared with the standard ice wrap in patients after either rotator cuff repair or subacromial decompression, according to recently published study results.

Colorado University researchers randomly assigned 46 patients scheduled for either rotator cuff repair or subacromial decompression to one of two groups: 25 patients (mean age: 55.4 years) were assigned to receive compressive cryotherapy (CC) treatment, and 21 patients (mean age: 55.8 years) were assigned to receive standard ice wrap (IW) treatment during the first postoperative week. Within 72 hours, patients used their respective treatment for one hour and then no treatment for one hour. The researchers asked patients to apply treatments two to three times a day, one hour each time, on postoperative days three and seven.

Additionally, all of the patients were asked to keep a diary of outcomes, including VAS scores based on average daily pain, worst daily pain and total pain medication usage. Clinicians converted pain medication usage data to a medication to morphine equivalent dosage (MED).

Results showed average SF-12 physical scores for CC group and IQ group were 33.9 and 34.2, respectively, and average SF-12 mental scores were 45.8 and 51.7, respectively. Overall, differences between groups were not considered significant with regard to average pain, worst pain or MED from day zero to seven days. Although the CC group was observed to use a higher MED each day, this difference was not considered statistically significant on any single day, according to the data.

Additionally, significant differences were not observed in either group for age at surgery, SF-12 scores, average pain, worst pain or MED on any of the seven days for patients who had operative anesthesia placed in peripheral nerve block, the results indicated.