Passive range of glenohumeral motion in children with a Sprengel's deformity

In Sprengel's deformity, loss of shoulder motion has been attributed exclusively to scapulothoracic stiffness. The purposes of this study were to evaluate passive glenohumeral (GH) joint motion in these children.

A prospective evaluation of 23 children was performed. Obtained data were demographics, Cavendish grade, bilateral active global shoulder elevation, and multidirectional passive GH range of motion, including: (a) GH internal rotation in abduction and GH cross-body adduction to assess for posterior GH contracture; (b) spinohumeral abduction angle (SHABD) to assess for inferior GH contracture; (c) spinohumeral adduction angle to assess for superior GH contracture; and (d) passive external rotation in shoulder adduction and abduction to assess for anterior GH contracture. Paired t tests and both Pearson's and Spearman's correlation analyses were performed.

The mean patient age was 8.1 years (range, 1.4-16.7 years), with 13.4% of deformities Cavendish grade 1, 52.2% grade 2, 13.4% grade 3, and 21.7% grade 4. The involved shoulder showed a statistically significant decrease in mean active global shoulder elevation (117.4° vs. 176.1°), SHABD (14.6° vs. 41.5°), cross-body adduction (43° vs. 71.3°), and internal rotation in abduction (17.8° vs. 49.4°), all at P < .001. Strong inverse correlations were noted between Cavendish grade and both global shoulder elevation (r, -0.784) and SHABD (r, -0.669). Cavendish grade IV patients showed a mean decrease of 45° (range, 40°-60°) of SHABD.

Shoulder elevation is also impaired by GH joint contractures.