Riassunto dello studio

One hundred and ten patients with isolated full-thickness supraspinatus tears were randomized to either brace immobilization for 6 weeks (n=55) or a simple sling for 2 weeks (n=55). The primary outcome was Constant-Murley Score (CMS) at 6 months. Secondary outcomes included DASH, VAS pain, SF-36, ROM, strength, MRI‐confirmed re-rupture, and the cohort-specific MCID. Outcomes were assessed at baseline, 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months; MRI was obtained at 6 months. Overall, the results showed similar trajectories in both groups: early postoperative worsening followed by clinically meaningful improvement by 3 and 6 months, with no between-group differences in function, pain, or quality of life, and identical re-rupture counts (5 vs 5). These findings suggest that a short, less-constraining sling protocol is as safe and effective as a longer brace protocol after ARCR.