open dataset · last reviewed 2026-06-05
Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair recovery data
Every measured number behind the Rotator cuff surgery recovery timeline, with the study each one came from. shoulder · confidence high · 2 interpolated points not listed. Part of the recovery data index. Quote it, chart it, cite it — a link back is all we ask.
Published cohort data. Not medical advice, not a prediction for your body, and not a substitute for your surgeon or clinician.
Measured pain by week
| Week | Typical pain | Band | Scale | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 4.4 /10 | 2.6–6.4a comparison, not a spread — The low edge is the average for patients who got a nerve block; the high edge is a different day's figure for patients who got no block — two different treatments on two different days, not the spread among people managed the same way. | 0–10 as published | study |
| 6 | 4 /10 | 2.3–5.8printed in the paper | 0–10 as published | study |
| 12 | 3 /10 | 1.2–4.8printed in the paper | 0–10 as published | study |
| 52 | 0.9 /10 | 0–1.4our estimate — the paper prints no range — The paper's own printed mean and SD put the top of a one-SD band at about 1.7, not 1.4 shown here — the high edge doesn't reconstruct from the paper's own numbers. | 0–10 as published | study |
Documented milestones
| Week | Milestone | Reported range | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Passive ROM begins | Within 7 days to about 3 weeks, protocol-dependent | study |
| 2 | Deskwork / sedentary work | When comfortable in the sling (protocol gives no fixed week; commonly ~1-2 weeks) | study |
| 6 | Sling discontinued | About 6 weeks; some protocols extend to 7-8 weeks | study |
| 6 | Return to driving | Often around sling discontinuation; observed timing varies | study |
| 12 | Overhead reaching | Around 12 weeks by protocol gate | study |
take this
Cite Arthroscopic rotator cuff repairone line, ready to paste
Steady. Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair recovery data: 4 measured pain points and 5 milestones, from 3 cited sources. Last reviewed 2026-06-05. https://growsteady.me/recovery-data/rotator-cuff-repair
Embed the Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair chartfree to use on your own site, with the credit line kept
The image is drawn from the table above and redraws whenever the data is reviewed, so an embedded copy never goes stale. Open the image →
<figure>
<img src="https://growsteady.me/recovery-data/rotator-cuff-repair/curve.png" alt="Typical pain by week after Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, from published studies" width="1200" height="675" loading="lazy" />
<figcaption>
Pain band after Arthroscopic rotator cuff repair, from
<a href="https://growsteady.me/recovery-data/rotator-cuff-repair">the Steady recovery data index</a>.
</figcaption>
</figure>every paper cited here (7)
- orthopedics.medicine.uiowa.edunot yet reviewed · backs 3 milestone, 4 card
- The Factors Affecting Pain Pattern after Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair (Kim CW, Kim JH, Kim DG, Clin Orthop Surg, 2014)retrospective cohort · backs 4 pain, 2 card
- PMC12002080not yet reviewed · backs 1 milestone, 1 card
- PMC9310229not yet reviewed · backs 1 pain, 1 card
- massgeneral.orgnot yet reviewed · backs 1 milestone
- Pain catastrophizing and early pain after rotator cuff repair (phone follow-up, n=32)prospective case series · backs 1 pain
- Return to activities after arthroscopic rotator cuff repairmeta-analysis · backs 1 card
take the data
This procedure's records as JSON — one per question a person actually asks, each with the answer written out in full and the study beside it: /recovery-data/rotator-cuff-repair/claims.json. The whole dataset lives on the recovery data index.
The data says what a cohort did. Your own log says what you did — and saves you from re-arguing week six from memory.
Start a recovery logThis page reports published cohort data. It is not medical advice, not a prediction for your body, and not a substitute for your surgeon or clinician. New severe or rapidly worsening pain, fever or chills, a hot swollen calf, chest pain or breathlessness, wound redness or discharge, or new numbness or weakness are reasons to contact your surgical team promptly.