Contrast-enhanced Ultrasonography for the Diagnosis of Frozen Shoulder

Adhesive capsulitis (AC), also known as frozen shoulder, is challenging for diagnosis, particularly in early stages. A promising tool is contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS), which has been successfully applied on musculoskeletal ultrasonography.

Two antecedent studies reported the application of CEUS on AC patients although different methods were used. The first research team administered the contrast media intravenously to facilitate detection of microcirculation through observing different distributions of time-intensity curves between the affected and unaffected shoulders. The second study has introduced a pioneering approach, injecting the contrast media mixed with saline directly into the glenohumeral joint. The authors designated this novel method as "US arthrography". According to our best knowledge, this is the first study reporting the application of intraarticular CEUS in humans.

Both presented studies reported CEUS to be capable of differentiating shoulders with AC from normal controls.