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Author Spotlight: Treating Frozen Shoulder with Small Needle Knife Therapy
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Frozen shoulder - A prospective randomized clinical trial
Rudra Narayan Mukherjee1, R M Pandey1, Hira Lal Nag1
1Rudra Narayan Mukherjee, Hira Lal Nag, Ravi Mittal, Department of Orthopaedics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi 110029, India.
World Journal of Orthopedics
|June 2, 2017
Summary
Arthroscopic capsular release offers faster pain relief and improved shoulder mobility compared to steroid injections for frozen shoulder. This surgical intervention leads to earlier and more significant functional gains.
Area of Science:
- Orthopedic Surgery
- Musculoskeletal Rehabilitation
Background:
- Frozen shoulder (adhesive capsulitis) is a debilitating condition characterized by pain and restricted range of motion.
- Current treatment options include conservative management, intra-articular injections, and surgical interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To compare the efficacy of arthroscopic capsular release versus intra-articular corticosteroid injections for treating frozen shoulder.
- To evaluate differences in pain, range of motion, and functional scores between the two treatment modalities.
Main Methods:
- A randomized controlled trial involving 56 patients with frozen shoulder.
- Group 1: Complete 360-degree arthroscopic capsular release. Group 2: Intra-articular corticosteroid injection (40 mg methylprednisolone acetate).
- Outcome measures included Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pain, range of motion, and Constant score, assessed at baseline and up to 20 weeks post-intervention.
Main Results:
- Both groups showed improvement in all measured parameters.
- Arthroscopic capsular release demonstrated significantly greater improvement in VAS pain scores from 8 weeks onwards.
- Significant improvements in Constant scores and range of motion (abduction and external rotation) were observed earlier and were more pronounced in the arthroscopic release group.
Conclusions:
- Arthroscopic capsular release is superior to intra-articular steroid injections for achieving earlier subjective and objective improvements in frozen shoulder patients.
- The surgical approach offers faster pain relief and enhanced functional recovery compared to corticosteroid injections.
