An additional rehabilitation program to improve postoperative outcomes in patients with rotator cuff tear and scapular dyskinesis: a propensity score-matched study

General scapular exercises have been included in traditional postoperative rehabilitation for rotator cuff tears, but patients with concomitant scapular dyskinesia do not have identical scapular muscle imbalances, and general scapular exercises make it difficult to improve scapular movement. We hypothesized that identifying weak scapular muscle groups and strengthening training would improve scapular movement. A total of 60 rotator cuff tear patients with scapular dyskinesia were included in the study, 20 in the experimental group and 40 in the control group. Patients in the control group received traditional rehabilitation following rotator cuff repair, while patients in the experimental group performed additional selective scapular muscle rehabilitation exercises. Constant-Murley Score (CMS), shoulder mobility, VAS scores, SF-12 scores, and scapular motion were assessed in both groups at 16 weeks postoperatively. At 16-week follow-up, the experimental group showed better CMS (87.2 ± 4.4 vs. 83.9 ± 4.8) and shoulder anteflexion (137 ± 13.0 vs. 127.9 ± 12.2°) and abduction mobility (133.1 ± 15.4 vs. 121.4 ± 13.8°) compared to the control group. The experimental group had better improvements in scapular upward rotation (42.8 ± 11.7 vs. 35.3 ± 9.6°) and anterior tilt (12.9 ± 4.2 vs. 6.4 ± 2.0°) during shoulder anteflexion versus the control group. During shoulder abduction, the experimental group had better improvements in scapular anterior tilt (12.8 ± 3.3 vs. 9.1 ± 3.0°) versus the control group. This study provides an additional exercise program targeting the scapular muscle groups for postoperative rehabilitation in rotator cuff tear patients with scapular dyskinesis. By identifying imbalanced muscles through electromyographic testing, and performing selective muscle strengthening exercises, better shoulder mobility and scapular motion performance can be achieved. (Chinese Clinical Trial Registry ( https://www.chictr.org.cn ), ChiCTR2400087465, July 29, 2024, prospectively registered.).