Arthroscopic adhesiolysis in elderly patients with post-traumatic frozen shoulder

The aim of the current study is to investigate the efficacy and risk factors associated with arthroscopic adhesiolysis in treating elderly traumatic frozen shoulder.

One hundred and two elderly patients with post-traumatic frozen shoulder treated at our Hospital were selected. The patients were randomly divided into a study group and a control group, with 51 cases in each group. The study group was treated with arthroscopic adhesiolysis, and the control group received physical therapy combined with joint manipulation.

The operation time and intraoperative blood loss of the study group were (54.98 ± 5.94) min and (53.28 ± 4.93) ml, respectively. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) (0.87 ± 0.12, P = 0.021), Present Pain Intensity (PPI) (0.76 ± 0.07, P = 0.016), and Pain Rating Index (PRI) (5.32 ± 0.32, P < 0.001) scores were lower in the study group than the control group at 3 months post-treatment. Moreover, no significant differences were seen in terms of pain relief, daily living activities, shoulder joint function, and muscle strength between the two groups before the treatment; however, at 3 months post-treatment, the study group demonstrated better outcomes in these dimensions compared to the control group (all P ≤ 0.021), with notably improved shoulder joint mobility (all P < 0.001).

Arthroscopic adhesiolysis exerts beneficial outcomes for elderly patients with post-traumatic frozen shoulder. Age and fat infiltration are identified as risk factors influencing the efficacy of arthroscopic adhesiolysis in this patient population.