References

The full source set behind the rotator cuff repair timeline. Every claim the app makes traces to a row in a protocol spine, and every row traces to one of these.

These sources are synthesized, never quoted. None of the institutions, societies, journals, or authors listed here has any involvement with this app, and no affiliation with any of them is claimed or implied. They are listed here so you can read the underlying material yourself.

The source set

S1: Thigpen CA, Shaffer MA, Gaunt BW, et al. ASSET/ASES consensus statement on rehabilitation following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. JSES 2016;25(4):521–535; Am. Society of Shoulder & Elbow Therapists
S2: AAOS Clinical Practice Guideline: Management of Rotator Cuff Injuries (updated 2025); Am. Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons
S3: Mass General — Rehabilitation Protocol, Rotator Cuff Repair, Small-to-Medium (PDF); Academic-center protocol
S4: Mass General — Rehabilitation Protocol, Rotator Cuff Repair, Large-to-Massive (PDF); Academic-center protocol
S5: MOON Shoulder Group — Immediate Therapy Protocol (Univ. Iowa / Colorado Anschutz); Multicenter research-group protocol
S6: MOON Shoulder Group — Delayed Therapy Home Booklet ("therapy begins 6 weeks after surgery"); Multicenter research-group protocol
S7: Ohio State (Wexner) — Small–Medium RCR Guideline, 2020; Academic-center CPG
S8: van der Meijden OA, Westgard P, Millett PJ, et al. Rehabilitation after arthroscopic RCR: current concepts review (Harvard Shoulder / Steadman-affiliated); Peer-reviewed current-concepts review
S9: Hu C-W, Tsai SHL, Chen C-H, et al. Early versus delayed mobilization for arthroscopic rotator cuff repair (small to large sized tear): a meta-analysis of 13 RCTs, n=1,082. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2023;24:938; Peer-reviewed meta-analysis
S10: Mazuquin B, et al. Effectiveness of early vs delayed rehabilitation after RCR: systematic review + meta-analyses, 20 RCTs, n=1,841. PLoS One 2021; Peer-reviewed systematic review
S11: Kluczynski / Chang meta-family — early vs delayed PROM/AROM and healing by tear size (AJSM 2015; JSES 2014; 2018); Peer-reviewed meta-analyses
S12: Jenssen KK, Lundgreen K, Madsen JE, Kvakestad R, Pripp AH, Dimmen S. No Functional Difference Between Three and Six Weeks of Immobilization After Arthroscopic Rotator Cuff Repair: A Prospective Randomized Controlled Non-Inferiority Trial, n=120 (small–medium). Arthroscopy 2018;34(10):2765–2774; Peer-reviewed RCT
S13: Sheps DM, et al. Early Active Motion vs Sling Immobilization after arthroscopic RCR: RCT. Arthroscopy 2019;35(3):749–760; Peer-reviewed RCT
S14: Littlewood C, et al. RaCeR trial — patient-directed (self-managed) rehabilitation after RCR; Peer-reviewed RCT / feasibility
S15: Tirefort J, Collin P, et al. Postoperative Mobilization After Superior RCR: Sling vs No Sling — RCT, n=80. JBJS Am 2019;101(6):494–503; Peer-reviewed RCT
S16: Jeon YS, et al. To sling or not to sling after RCR? Ann Transl Med 2020 (editorial on S15); Peer-reviewed editorial
S17: Gao J-H / Hollman F, et al. Sling vs abduction brace immobilization after arthroscopic RCR: SR/MA + RCT (2017; 2023 ×2); Peer-reviewed SR/MA + RCT
S18: Longo UG, et al. Re-tear rates after rotator cuff surgery: systematic review + meta-analysis, 31 studies, >2,500 repairs. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2021; Peer-reviewed meta-analysis
S19: Diebold G, Lam P, Walton J, Murrell GAC. Tear Size and Stiffness as Predictors of Re-tear: 1,526 repairs at 6 months (JBJS OA 2022); and Age and Re-tear: 1,600 repairs (JBJS 2017); Peer-reviewed cohorts
S20: Does tear size influence early re-tear, satisfaction, function? PLoS One 2026, n=1,166; Peer-reviewed cohort
S21: Guadagno S, et al. Massive rotator cuff tears: algorithmic approach. Annals of Joint review; + Galatz 2004 (JBJS Am 86:219); Peer-reviewed review + cohort
S22: Rossi LA / Abtahi AM, Tashjian RZ, et al. Factors affecting healing after arthroscopic RCR (World J Orthop 2015; PMC narrative review); Peer-reviewed reviews
S23: Iannotti JP, et al. Time to Failure After Rotator Cuff Repair: prospective serial-MRI study, n=113 (1–4 cm). JBJS Am 2013;95(11):965–971; Peer-reviewed prospective
S24: Lee SH, et al. Critical period and risk factors for re-tear after arthroscopic RCR: prospective serial ultrasound, 206 shoulders. KSSTA 2017; Peer-reviewed prospective cohort
S25: Russell RD, et al. Structural Integrity After RCR Does Not Correlate With Function and Pain: meta-analysis (JBJS Am 2014); + Namdari-type 2018 follow-up meta; Peer-reviewed meta-analysis
S26: Kim SJ, et al. Re-tear vs intact, propensity-matched ~6.9-yr follow-up, 65 vs 65 (AJSM 2025); Dodson CC, et al. recurrent-defect strength cohort (AJSM 2009); Peer-reviewed cohorts
S27: Guo S, et al. Stiffness and arthroscopic RCR: literature review (Annals of Joint 2023); Management of shoulder stiffness after RCR: SR/MA (JSES Rev 2023); Murrell 2023 editorial; Peer-reviewed review + SR/MA
S28: Incidence and risk factors for early postoperative stiffness after ARCR, n=274. Sci Rep 2022; Peer-reviewed cohort
S29: Takahashi R, et al. Early Postoperative Stiffness After ARCR Correlates With Improved Tendon Healing. Arthroscopy 2024 (n≈1,533 and n≈195 series); Peer-reviewed cohort
S30: Deep shoulder infection after RCR: systematic reviews — Rossi LA (World J Orthop 2017); Revision-for-infection SR (Healthcare MDPI 2024); Peer-reviewed reviews
S31: Kwon J / Zhu J / Li, et al. VTE after arthroscopic shoulder surgery: systematic review, 42 studies, 224,636 patients (J Orthop Surg Res 2023); Hodakowski JSES Rev 2022 (RCR subset n=2,411); Peer-reviewed systematic reviews
S32: Park J, et al. Rebound Pain After Arthroscopic Cuff Repair With Interscalene Block, RCT, n=67 (Arthroscopy 2025); rebound-pain literature review (Braz J Anesthesiol 2019; Ann Saudi Med 2023 RCT); Peer-reviewed RCTs + review
S33: The Factors Affecting Pain Pattern After ARCR. Clin Shoulder Elbow 2014; Peer-reviewed
S34: Matzkin EG, et al. Sleep patterns return to normal in the majority ~6 months after RCR, n=250 (JSES 2022); How patients sleep after RCR: prospective analysis (JSES 2026); Peer-reviewed cohorts
S35: Daher M, Abboud JA, et al. Improvement of Sleep Disturbance After RCR Occurs at 3 Months: SR/MA, 13 studies, 2,447 patients. OJSM 2025; Peer-reviewed meta-analysis
S36: Li X, et al. Sling Results in Better Sleep Quality and Less Anxiety Early After Arthroscopic RCR: RCT. AJSM 2025; Peer-reviewed RCT
S37: Cho C-H, et al. Functional recovery kinetics after RCR, 344 consecutive patients (KSSTA 2021); Kurowicki 2017 "speed of recovery"; Peer-reviewed cohorts
S38: Haunschild ED, Cole BJ, et al. Return to Work After Primary RCR: SR/MA, 13 studies, n=1,224 (AJSM 2021); Horneff Cureus 2021 (WC, dominant-arm); Kemp Occup Med 2011 (WC); Peer-reviewed SR/MA + cohorts
S39: Klouche S, et al. Return to Sport After RCR: SR/MA, 25 studies, n=859. AJSM 2016; Peer-reviewed meta-analysis
S40: Badger AE, et al. Safe return to driving at 2 weeks after RCR (simulator) (Arthroscopy 2022); Antoni M, et al. Return to driving 23% / 70% / 99% at 1 / 2 / 6 months (J Exp Orthop 2025); Peer-reviewed study + cohort
S41: Demographics / psych / biology set: Meng (Front Public Health 2022/23, prevalence + ≥75 outcomes), Rudisill (JSES Int 2022, n=42,443 sex split), Gumina 2013, Wang (BMC 2022 kinesiophobia), JSES Rev 2026 transient anxiety/depression, List (SICOT-J 2023 healing biology / 5-phase example), Yang & Temenoff 2010 (enthesis), Miller 2011 (AJSM re-tear timing), Lu 2026 (J Clin Med traumatic vs degenerative), Quaunine 2026 (Shoulder & Elbow FAQ review), CISE 2023 (online questions); Peer-reviewed cohorts/reviews
S42: Academic-center and society patient-education rehabilitation material — post-op instruction sheets and patient FAQ pages accompanying the S1/S3–S7 protocols (MGH, OSU Wexner, MOON booklets, ASES/AAOS patient pages); Institutional patient material
S43: Ambulatory anesthesia discharge guidance — ASA Statement on Ambulatory Anesthesia and Surgery; Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority advisory on accompanied discharge; Kaiser Permanente/Healthwise "Rotator Cuff Repair: Before Your Surgery"; Professional-society statement / patient-safety advisory / institutional patient material
S44: Institutional pre-operative patient instructions & home-preparation guidance for shoulder surgery — Kaiser Permanente/Healthwise rotator-cuff pre-surgery page; multiple US health systems' generic pre-surgery instructions; OrthoCarolina "Post-Shoulder Surgery 101"; orthopedic-practice pre-op instruction sheets; Institutional patient materials
S45: Institutional post-operative wound-care and showering instructions after rotator cuff repair — University of Utah Health patient instructions (2025); Washington University Orthopedics post-op sheet; Oxford University Hospitals NHS patient leaflet (verified in the early-window research pass, item 16); Institutional patient material

The same content, one day at a time

These pages are the year in stretches. The app is the year one day at a time: a single dated card, keyed to your surgery date and to the surgical details that change the timeline, with the map of what is ahead.

Coming to the App Store — Fall 2026.

Published by Vallecito Labs

Vallecito Labs is a one-person software company in Portland, Oregon. These pages are assembled from the content that ships inside The Comeback, which is synthesized from published rehabilitation protocols and peer-reviewed literature. Company facts and contact details are on the press kit.