Table. Primary and Secondary Outcomes at 5 Years.
| Outcome | Mean (95% CI) | Between-group mean difference (95% CI) | P value | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surgery group (n = 38) | Bracing group (n = 44) | |||
| Primary outcome: DASH scorea | 8.6 (3.7 to 13.4) | 8.4 (4.1 to 12.6) | 0.2 (−6.3 to 6.7) | .95 |
| Secondary outcomes | ||||
| Painb | ||||
| At rest | 0.93 (0.34 to 1.52) | 0.55 (0.02 to 1.08) | 0.38 (−0.40 to 1.16) | .34 |
| During activities | 2.04 (1.18 to 2.90) | 1.35 (0.58 to 2.12) | 0.69 (−0.48 to 1.84) | .25 |
| Constant-Murley scorec | 80.8 (74.7 to 86.9) | 78.7 (73.1 to 84.2) | 2.1 (−6.2 to 10.3) | .62 |
| Elbow ROM, degreesd | 145 (139 to 150) | 137 (131 to 142) | 8 (0 to 16) | .04 |
| 15D scoree | 0.91 (0.89 to 0.93) | 0.90 (0.88 to 0.92) | 0.01 (−0.03 to 0.05) | .62 |
| DASH work module scoref | 6.4 (0 to 15.6) | 3.1 (0 to 12.1) | 3.3 (−9.7 to 16.2) | .62 |
| DASH sports/performing arts module scoref | 3.1 (0 to 14.3) | 14.3 (0.7 to 27.8) | −11.2 (−28.9 to 6.6) | .22 |
| Patients with acceptable symptomatic state, %g | 83 (65 to 94) | 84 (69 to 94) | −1 (−18 to 17) | >.99 |
| Adequate clinical recovery, %h | 86 (68 to 96) | 92 (79 to 98) | −6 (−21 to 9) | .46 |
| Satisfaction with shoulder functioni | 8.8 (8.0 to 9.6) | 8.5 (7.8 to 9.2) | 0.3 (−0.8 to 1.3) | .60 |
| Satisfaction with elbow functioni | 8.9 (8.2 to 9.6) | 9.2 (8.6 to 9.8) | −0.3 (−1.2 to 0.6) | .52 |
| Satisfaction with upper extremity functioni | 8.8 (8.0 to 9.6) | 8.4 (7.6 to 9.1) | 0.4 (−0.6 to 1.5) | .41 |
| Patients willing to repeat the same treatment, %j | 93 (77 to 99) | 76 (60 to 89) | 17 (0 to 33) | .10 |
Abbreviations: 15D, 15-dimensional instrument; DASH, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand; ROM, range of motion.
Validated 30-item tool assessing upper-extremity symptoms in daily life (range, 0 [no disability] to 100 [extreme disability]). Values lower than 10 represent a mean value in a randomly selected population aged 20 to 60 years, and a score of 10 is generally regarded as the minimal clinically important difference.
Reported on a 0 to 10 numerical rating scale, where 0 is no pain and 10 is the worst imaginable pain.
Assesses various conditions affecting shoulder function with 2 subjective (pain, 0-15 points; activities of daily living, 0-20 points) and 2 objective (shoulder range of motion, 0-40 points; strength, 0-25 points) subscales. The range is 0 to 100, with higher score denoting better function. Values around 85 are considered normal in individuals aged 40 to 60 years. Measurements were performed by a physiotherapist unaware of the treatment group.
Measured by a physiotherapist using a goniometer and calculated using the difference in degrees between full flexion and full extension. A difference of more than 14 degrees is considered clinically important.
Generic health-related quality-of-life instrument (range, 1 [full health] to 0 [death]). Values higher than 0.9 are comparable with a randomly selected Finnish population aged 30 years or older.
Comprises 4 questions assessing the effect on work, sports, or performing arts (range, 0 [none] to 100 [extreme disability]). A score of 10 points or lower indicates minimal limitations on performance at most.
Acceptable symptomatic state was determined using patient’s global assessment of satisfaction regarding the injured arm by asking, “How satisfied are you with the overall condition of your injured upper limb and its effect on your daily life?” Responses were given on a 7-point Likert scale. “Very satisfied” and “satisfied” were categorized as having an acceptable symptomatic state and “somewhat satisfied,” “neither satisfied nor dissatisfied,” “somewhat dissatisfied,” “dissatisfied,” and “very dissatisfied” as not having an acceptable symptomatic state.
A DASH score within a minimal important difference (10 points) of the preinjury score was considered to indicate adequate clinical recovery.
Reported on a 0 to 10 numerical rating scale, where 0 is the worst and 10 is the best condition.
Patients were asked whether they would like to have the same treatment again if they sustained a similar kind of injury later. Responses were given as “yes” or “no.”