Table 2.
Effect of the intervention on arm morbidity
| Characteristics | Group; no. (%) of patients* |
p-value† | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Experimental (n=41) |
Comparison (n=31) |
||||||
| Baseline | 7 months | Change | Baseline | 7 months | Change | ||
| Mean shoulder range of motion (SD), degrees | |||||||
| Abduction | 157.5 (21.1) | 158.2 (19.7) | 0.45 (9.68) | 156.0 (11.3) | 151.8 (16.4) | −4.23 (13.62) | 0.11 |
| Flexion | 149.7 (16.3) | 150.1 (14.6) | 0.63 (9.44) | 152.5 (14.2) | 146.4 (18.1) | −6.06 (14.98) | 0.03 |
| External rotation | 93.5 (19.4) | 94.9 (14.4) | 1.43 (13.77) | 85.7 (7.5)* | 82.9 (10.9) | −2.71 (11.08) | 0.17 |
| Muscular strength | |||||||
| Shoulder abduction | |||||||
| Increase strength | NA | 3 (7.5) | NA | NA | 4 (12.9) | NA | 0.50 |
| Decrease strength | NA | 7 (17.5) | NA | NA | 2 (6.5) | NA | 0.17 |
| Shoulder flexion | |||||||
| Increase strength | NA | 5 (12.5) | NA | NA | 2 (6.5) | NA | 0.40 |
| Decrease strength | NA | 3 (7.5) | NA | NA | 1 (3.2) | NA | 0.44 |
| Shoulder external rotation | |||||||
| Increase strength | NA | 3 (7.5) | NA | NA | 0 (0) | NA | 0.12 |
| Decrease strength | NA | 4 (10.0) | NA | NA | 1 (3.2) | NA | 0.27 |
| Elbow flexion | |||||||
| Increase strength | NA | 6 (15.0) | NA | NA | 1 (3.2) | NA | 0.10 |
| Decrease strength | NA | 1 (2.5) | NA | NA | 1 (3.2) | NA | 0.90 |
| Lymphedema | NA | 1 (2.5) | NA | NA | 3 (9.7) | NA | 0.19 |
| DASH Score, mean (SD) | 13.6 (17.7) | 18.3 (18.7) | 4.76 (16.56) | 11.8 (14.0) | 13.7 (15.1) | 1.86 (13.69) | 0.27 |
| DASH >25 | NA | 7 (18.4) | NA | NA | 4 (13.8) | NA | 0.61 |
| DASH ≤25 | NA | 31 (81.6) | NA | NA | 25 (86.3) | NA | NA |
| FACT-B+4, mean (SD) | 102.3 (18.8) | 105.42 (18.3) | 1.92 (16.21) | 120.0 (12.2) | 117.60 (18.4) | −1.35 (16.05) | 0.43 |
| Pain (VAS), mean (SD) cm | |||||||
| At rest | 0.07 (0.3) | 7.8 (15.5) | 7.5 (15.3) | 0.10 (0.30) | 8.9 (11.9) | 8.5 (11.8) | 0.74 |
| With activity | NA | 16.6 (23.4) | NA | NA | 24.6 (27.1) | NA | 0.20 |
*
Unless otherwise specified.
†
Difference from baseline to 7-month follow-up.
NA=not applicable; DASH=Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand; FACT-B+4=Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy—Breast; VAS=visual analogue scale.