Management of postoperative shoulder stiffness

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic Surgery
• Sports Medicine
• Shoulder Arthroscopy

Background:

• Rotator cuff tears are commonly treated with arthroscopic surgery.
• Postoperative shoulder stiffness occurs in 4-15% of patients, with unknown exact prevalence.
• Stiffness management is cause-dependent, often requiring operative intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the management of postoperative shoulder stiffness following arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.
• To highlight the efficacy of arthroscopic capsular release for resistant cases.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on postoperative shoulder stiffness.
• Discussion of nonoperative and operative management strategies.
• Focus on arthroscopic capsular release technique and indications.

Main Results:

• Postoperative shoulder stiffness is frequently resistant to nonoperative treatments.
• Arthroscopic capsular release is effective for scar tissue and adhesions.
• This technique allows precise debridement and capsular division.

Conclusions:

• Arthroscopic capsular release is the preferred surgical approach for managing refractory postoperative shoulder stiffness.
• It offers a precise and selective method for addressing capsular contracture and adhesions.
• This intervention can restore shoulder function when conservative measures fail.