ClinicalTrials.gg
RecruitingNCT06631976Updated Dec 10, 2025

Conservative Treatment in Patients With Supraspinatus Tendon Injury.

An interventional study of 1ml of Depo-Medrol® injection and Rehabilitation in Supraspinatus Injury and Sleep Disturbance, sponsored by Medical University of Lodz. Recruiting at 1 site in Poland. Open to participants aged 40 Years to 75 Years. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2025-12-10.

Sponsored by Medical University of Lodz · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

From the registry’s dates

  • Primary completion was expected by May 2026, 6 months ago, but the record still lists the study as recruiting.
  • Registered 3 months after the study started (first participant enrolled Jun 2024, registered Oct 2024).
  • Started Jun 2024; still recruiting 2 years 5 months later.
Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
40
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
40 Years to 75 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Rotator cuff injuries are a major cause of severe pain, often significantly impacting patients\' sleep quality. For patients waiting for surgery or those not eligible for operative treatment, conservative treatment is recommended. In cases of minor injuries, physiotherapy is as effective as surgical intervention.

The aim of this study is: (1) to compare the speed, effectiveness, and durability of four implemented interventions in improving sleep quality, pain, and shoulder function, (2) to select the most optimal form of conservative treatment for patients with shoulder pain affecting sleep quality, and (3) to evaluate the expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and proBDNF (precursor) at the mRNA protein level before the planned intervention (T0), 1 month (T1), 3 months (T3), and 6 months (T6) after intervention.

The study results can assist physicians and physiotherapists in providing patients with therapy that not only relieves pain and improves function but also augments sleep quality, an aspect often overlooked in the literature yet greatly impacting patients\' quality of life.

02

Conditions studied

  • Supraspinatus Injury
  • Sleep Disturbance
03

In context

Lead sponsor

Medical University of Lodz is the lead sponsor of 107 studies on the registry; 10 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
40 Years to 75 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No

Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.

Inclusion criteria

  1. Symptomatic partial incomplete thickness tear of the supraspinatus tendon, with a length below 1 cm and not exceeding 50% of the tendon thickness, confirmed by ultrasound examination.
  2. Sleep disturbance symptoms for at least 1 month due to shoulder pain - PSQI score > 5.
  3. Shoulder pain disrupting the quality of sleep.
  4. \< 30.
  5. Age 40-75.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  1. Other accompanying pain symptoms.
  2. History of shoulder surgery.
  3. Coexistence of psychiatric or neurological disorders.
  4. Presence of comorbidities that may disrupt sleep.
  5. Presence of risk factors impairing tissue regeneration and increasing the likelihood of injury progression - osteoporosis, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia.
  6. Alcohol dependence, nicotine addiction, passive smoking.
  7. Taking antibiotics from the fluoroquinolone group, sleep-affecting medications (such as melatonin, trazodone, zolpidem), antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics.
  8. Lack of patient consent, lack of cooperation, or impaired verbal-logical communication.
Terms in these criteria, in plain language(1)

Underlined terms in the criteria open these too. Explained by clinicaltrials.gg, not part of the registry record. The study team decides who can take part.

BMI (body mass index)

Weight in kilograms divided by height in metres squared. Example: 70 kg and 1.75 m gives 70 ÷ (1.75 × 1.75) ≈ 22.9.

What counts as overweight or obesity differs between countries (some use lower cut-offs), so go by the range the study states.

05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Single (Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
40 participants (estimated)

Study arms

  • Active comparator
    Rehabilitation

    Rehabilitation Treatment - a group of patients will be treated using a standardized rehabilitation protocol.

    Other: Rehabilitation

  • Experimental
    Steroid

    Rehabilitation treatment combined with a subacromial corticosteroid injection. Patients will receive 1ml of methylprednisolone acetate (40mg/ml) into the subacromial-subdeltoid bursa.

    Drug: 1ml of Depo-Medrol® injection · Other: Rehabilitation

  • Experimental
    PRP

    Rehabilitation treatment combined with PRP injection. Patients will have an 11ml venous blood sample taken. After centrifugation, the obtained preparation will be administered to the patients intratendinously.

    Other: Rehabilitation · Drug: Tropocells® PRP injection

  • Experimental
    Nerve Block

    Rehabilitation treatment combined with suprascapular nerve block. Patients will receive 4ml of 2% lidocaine around the suprascapular nerve.

    Other: Rehabilitation · Drug: Nerve block with 4ml of 2% lidocaine

Interventions

  • Drug1ml of Depo-Medrol® injection

    1ml of methylprednisolone acetate (40mg/ml) injection into subacromial bursa.

  • OtherRehabilitation

    Rehabilitation

  • DrugNerve block with 4ml of 2% lidocaine

    Nerve block with 4ml of 2% lidocaine around the suprascapular nerve

  • DrugTropocells® PRP injection

    Tropocells® PRP injection. Patients will have an 11ml venous blood sample taken. After centrifugation, the obtained preparation will be administered to the patients intratendinously.

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Constant-Murley Score

    The CMS is a widely used clinical assessment tool in orthopedics, specifically for evaluating shoulder function and outcomes following shoulder surgery or injury. The CMS comprises a set of objective and subjective measures to assess various aspects of shoulder function, including pain, range of motion, strength, and activities of daily living. These components are evaluated through a combination of patient-reported outcomes and physical examination by a healthcare professional.

    Time frame: 6 months

  2. Numeric pain Rating Scale

    The NRS is a commonly used tool in clinical studies to assess pain intensity. It involves asking the patient to rate their pain on a scale from 0 to 10, with 0 indicating no pain and 10 indicating the worst possible pain.

    Time frame: 6 months

  3. Range of motion measurements

    The assessment of the range of motion of the upper limb (shoulder) is a standard procedure used to evaluate the function and mobility of the shoulder joint. This assessment involves examining the range of motion in various directions, including flexion, extension, abduction, adduction, external rotation, and internal rotation.

    Time frame: 6 months

  4. Strength measurements

    The assessment of upper limb muscle strength using a dynamometer is a standard procedure used to measure the force exerted by the muscles of the shoulder and arm. This assessment involves using a handheld dynamometer to quantify the maximum force produced during specific muscle actions. Muscle strength measurement will be conducted during movements of flexion, extension, and external and internal rotation with the arm adducted and abducted.

    Time frame: 6 months

  5. BDNF and proBDNF Assessment

    BDNF belongs to a family of proteins called neurotrophins, which act through tyrosine kinase receptors, influencing nerve cells. They exert a neuroprotective effect by stimulating neurogenesis and neuroplasticity processes. In the context of sleep disorders, BDNF may influence the structural stability of neurons in brain areas related to sleep regulation, such as the hippocampus or prefrontal cortex. Disruptions in the balance of this protein may contribute to various sleep disorders. Increased expression of this protein may also contribute to disturbances in normal neuronal processes.

    Time frame: 6 months

  6. Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index

    The PSQI is a self-assessment questionnaire that evaluates seven different aspects of sleep in adults. It assesses parameters of sleep quality such as difficulty with falling asleep, problems with maintaining sleep continuity, daytime functioning, and questions regarding the most common causes of sleep disturbances in the past four weeks. All of these contribute to a score rated from 0 to 21 points. Scores higher than 5 points indicate low sleep quality and differentiate patients into \&#39;poor\&#39; and \&#39;good\&#39; sleepers. A validated Polish version of the PSQI will be utilized in the study.

    Time frame: 6 months

Secondary outcomes

  1. The Laitinen Pain Scale

    The Laitinen Pain Scale, also known as the Laitinen Analogue Scale, is a pain assessment tool used in clinical settings to measure pain intensity. The questionnaire provides a quantitative measure of pain intensity, allowing healthcare providers to track changes in pain over time and assess the effectiveness of pain management interventions. It also facilitates communication between patients and clinicians, enabling more accurate pain assessment and tailored treatment plans.

    Time frame: 6 months

  2. The Simple Shoulder Test

    The SST is a clinical assessment tool used to evaluate shoulder function and disability. The SST consists of 12 questions that assess the patient\&#39;s ability to perform various shoulder-related activities of daily living. These activities include reaching overhead, reaching behind the back, and lifting objects. Each question is scored on a dichotomous scale (yes/no), with a score of 1 assigned for each activity the patient can perform without difficulty.

    Time frame: 6 months

  3. The American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons

    The ASES is a widely used clinical assessment tool designed to evaluate shoulder function and assess outcomes following treatment for various shoulder conditions. The ASES Shoulder Score comprises two main components: pain and function. The function component evaluates the patient\&#39;s ability to perform various shoulder-related activities of daily living.

    Time frame: 6 months

  4. Supraspinatous muscle echogenicity measurement

    The echogenicity of supraspinatus muscle and trapezius muscle will be determined using ImageJ software (National Institutes of Health, U.S.; https://imagej.nih.gov/ij/). The echogenicity ratio of supraspinatus/trapezius muscle will be calculated.

    Time frame: 6 months

  5. The assessment of the degree of fatty infiltration of the supraspinatus muscle

    A 3-point scale with the echogenicity of the trapezius muscle serving as reference: grade 1, isoechogenic; grade 2, mildly hyperechogenic; grade 3, markedly hyperechogenic.

    Time frame: 6 months

  6. The Montreal Cognitive Assessment

    The MoCA is a widely used screening tool designed to assess various cognitive domains, including attention, memory, language, visuospatial abilities, executive function, and orientation. The MoCA consists of a series of tasks and questions that evaluate different aspects of cognitive function. These include tasks such as naming a series of animals, remembering a list of words, drawing a clock face, and performing serial subtraction.

    Time frame: 6 months

  7. The Trail Making Test

    The Trail Making Test is a neuropsychological test of visual attention and task switching. It has two parts, in which the subject is instructed to connect a set of 25 dots as quickly as possible while maintaining accuracy.\[1\] The test can provide information about visual search speed, scanning, speed of processing, mental flexibility, and executive functioning.

    Time frame: 6 months

  8. A 3D measurement of the Supraspinatus Injury

    Measurement of the size of the injury in three planes: depth, width and length.

    Time frame: 6 months

  9. Ellman Classification of Partial-Thickness Rotator Cuff Tears

    A scale which classifies an injury depending on the localization and size: Grade 1: Partial tear \&lt;3mm in depth, Grade 2: Partial tear 3-6 mm in depth, depth does not exceed half the thickness of the tendon from the tubercle to the joint. Grade 3: Partial tear \&gt;6mm in depth, depth exceeds half the thickness of the tendon from the tubercle to the joint. Full recovery will be defined as Grade 0. A: Articular sided; B: Bursal sided; C: Intratendinous

    Time frame: 6 months

  10. Athens Insomnia Scale

    The questionnaire consists of 8 questions designed to assess insomnia. The first five questions align with the ICD-10 criteria for diagnosing insomnia, including assessments of difficulties with sleep onset, awakening, total sleep time, and overall sleep quality. The last three questions assess the daytime consequences of insomnia, such as mood, functioning, and daytime sleepiness. Each question is rated from 0 to 3 points, corresponding to \&#39;no problem\&#39; or \&#39;very serious problem,\&#39; respectively. In total, all assessed items yield a score of 24 points. A validated Polish version of the AIS will be used in the study.

    Time frame: 6 months

07

Study locations

1 of 1 sites recruiting
  • Medical University of Lodz
    Lodz, Łódź Voivodeship 90-419, Poland
    Recruiting
    • Michał Kanak, MD · Contactmichal.kanak@umed.lodz.pl · +48 783340150
    • Natalia Pawłuś, stud. · Principal investigator
    • Michał Kanak, MD. · Sub investigator
    • Szymon Turkiewicz, stud. · Sub investigator
    • Jędrzej Lesman, MD, PhD · Sub investigator
    • Agata Gabryelska, MD, PhD · Sub investigator
    • Marcin Domżalski, Prof. · Sub investigator
08

References and documents

Individual participant data

Plan to share: Undecided — Undecided.

No publications or documents are linked to this record.

09

Timeline

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
ElapsedEstimatedEstimated, not yet reached

Started Jun 2024 (actual). Primary completion is estimated for May 2026, 22 months after the start.

How these figures are worked out, and which studies are left out of them.

Registered
Oct 3, 2024
First posted
Oct 8, 2024
StartActual
Jun 4, 2024
Primary completionEst.
May 1, 2026
CompletionEst.
Sep 2026
Last update
Dec 10, 2025
What these dates mean
Start.
When the first participant enrolled; while estimated, when the study expects to open to recruitment.
Primary completion.
When the last participant was examined or treated to collect data for the study's main question, its primary outcome. A study that stopped early gives the date its data collection stopped.
Completion.
When the last participant's last visit took place, for every outcome, secondary ones and side effects included: the end of the study. Often later than primary completion, sometimes the same day.
Actual and Est.
Actual means the registry says the date has happened. Est. (estimated) is a date the sponsor plans or expects. It can still move, and the sponsor is expected to change it to actual once it has passed.
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Dec 10, 2025, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT06631976
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Oct 8, 2024
Start date
Jun 4, 2024
Primary completion
May 1, 2026 (estimated)
Completion
Sep 2026 (estimated)
Last update
Dec 10, 2025

Study contacts

Michał Kanak, MD
Contact
michal.kanak@umed.lodz.pl
178-334-0150
Michał Kanak, MD
study chair · Medical University of Lodz
Marcin Domżalski, Prof.
study chair · Medical University of Lodz

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
No
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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