Snapping scapula syndrome: a systematic review of treatment options and outcomes

Area of Science:

• Orthopedic surgery
• Sports medicine
• Musculoskeletal disorders

Background:

• Snapping scapula syndrome (SSS), or scapulothoracic bursitis, involves painful crepitus between the scapula and thoracic wall.
• Non-operative management is the initial treatment, with surgery considered for refractory cases.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review literature on SSS treatment modalities.
• To compare patient-reported outcome measures (PROMs).
• To assess complication and recurrence rates for operative and non-operative SSS management.

Main Methods:

• A systematic literature search was conducted across six databases.
• Included peer-reviewed studies (Level IV or higher) on human SSS treatment.
• Study quality was assessed, and data on demographics, techniques, PROMs, and outcomes were extracted.

Main Results:

• Twenty-one studies (464 patients) were analyzed.
• Non-operative treatment provided short-term pain relief (VAS improvement 3.7-6.0) but often failed to resolve symptoms.
• Operative management improved PROMs, with a 22% complication rate (primarily pain and crepitus) and 8.3-14.3% reoperation rates.

Conclusions:

• Both non-operative and operative SSS treatments yield pain relief, but mechanical symptoms may persist.
• Surgery offers durable functional improvement for refractory SSS cases.
• Limited evidence and heterogeneity necessitate prospective studies for optimized SSS treatment protocols.