Effects of Animated Video Instruction Combined With Practical Demonstration Video on Postoperative Functional Exercise Compliance and Rehabilitation Outcomes in Patients Undergoing Arthroscopic Shoulder Surgery

AIM: Patients undergoing shoulder arthroscopy often exhibit poor rehabilitation compliance due to kinesiophobia and inadequate understanding of postoperative rehabilitation. This study aimed to investigate the impact of animated video instruction combined with practical demonstration videos on postoperative compliance with functional exercises, correct brace use, and recovery of shoulder function in patients undergoing arthroscopic shoulder surgery, thereby providing evidence to optimize rehabilitation protocols.METHODS: This prospective randomized controlled trial enrolled 140 patients between January 2024 and January 2025, who were randomly assigned to an experimental group (n = 70, combined video-based intervention with weekly application (APP)-based remote rehabilitation guidance) or a control group (n = 70, conventional care). Outcome measures included exercise compliance (6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months), brace usage accuracy (1 week, 6 weeks, and 3 months), Constant-Murley Score (CMS), complication rate, and nursing satisfaction.RESULTS: The experimental group demonstrated significantly higher exercise compliance rates at 6 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months (90.00%, 78.57%, 71.43%, respectively) than the control group (71.43%, 57.14%, 41.43%, respectively; all p < 0.05). Correct brace usage rates at 1 week and 6 weeks were also significantly higher in the experimental group (75.71% and 88.57%, respectively) compared with the control group (41.43% and 58.57%, respectively; both p < 0.001). At 1 week, 6 weeks, and 3 months postoperatively, the experimental group achieved significantly higher total CMS scores and subscores, including pain, range of motion, muscle strength, and activities of daily living, than the control group (all p < 0.05). Additionally, the experimental group showed a lower overall complication rate (8.57% vs. 24.29%, p = 0.012) and a higher proportion of “very satisfied” nursing evaluations (85.71% vs. 54.29%, p < 0.001).CONCLUSIONS: The combined video-based rehabilitation intervention significantly improves postoperative exercise compliance, correct brace use, and early recovery of shoulder function. This approach may serve as a standardized rehabilitation nursing strategy for broader clinical application.CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: ISRCTN registry (ISRCTN13541497).