ls there a link between shoulder pain, shoulder capsule width and rotator cuff (RTC) pathology?
Item
- Title
- ls there a link between shoulder pain, shoulder capsule width and rotator cuff (RTC) pathology?
- Author(s)
- Laruelle, D
- Abstract
- Background: Around 40% of patients presenting with shoulder pain demonstrate incomplete recovery after one year. This may be due to clinical history and examinations providing insufficient evidence as to the anatomical origin of the symptoms. As shoulder stabirity is dependent on active (RTC) and passive (capsule) stabilizers', pathology of one of them must affect the other. Aside from secondary adhesive capsulitis there is a paucity of studies investigating the pathogenic relationship between these structures and shoulder pain. Objective: To investigate whether there is a link between the capsule width, shoulder pain and RTC pathology. Design: Observational cross- sectional study. Methods: Participants were recruited from the musculoskeletal ultrasound department of the European School of osteopathy (ESo) clinic and ESo students, who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The outcome measures were, inferior glenohumeral ligament (IGHL) width, oxford shoulder score (OSS) and shoulder Pain and Disability lndex (SPADI). The 13-point RTC scan was used to determine the severity of the pathologies. Data were analyzed using Analyse-lt; Normality and variance were tested with Shapiro-Wilks and Leven's test. IGHL width, SPADI and OSS data were analyzed with Spearman's tests to determine whether they could be correlated. All outcome measures were analyzed with the Student's T test or WIlcoxon Mann- Whitney test for significance between the groups. The groups compared were symptomatic shoulder with contralateral control shoulder and a group with RTC tears compared to a group with no RTC tears but RTC pathology. Results: Total of 24 participants were recruited, of which seven dropped out through the process and 17 completed the study. Spearman's test showed a correlation between IGHL versus OSS (rs= -0.43, p= 0.01, IGHL versus SPADI (rs= 0.37, p= 0.03) and OSS versus SPADI (rs= 0.97, p<0.0001).Wilcoxon Mann-Whitney test showed statistical signnifivance difference between IGHL in the symptomatic group compared with the control group (p=0.02). However, no statistical difference was found between the group with RTC tear and the group with no RTC tear but RTC pathology (p=0.19). Discussion: This study suggests that there is a link between IGHL width, pain and RTC pathology. However, it is unknown at this stage, whether the observed increase in IGHL thickness is related to the cause of shoulder pain or the effect of RTC pathology. This study also provides information about the use of OSS and SPADI as possible tools in order to monitor patient's progress. Severalfactors may have limited this study. Conclusion: The results of the study support the idea that there is a link between shoulder pain, IGHL width and RTC pathology. Further research in this field is required to fully understand this link and to determine the importance of this measurement.
- presented at
- European School of Osteopathy
- Date Accepted
- 2017
- Date Submitted
- 4.12.2017 17:06:21
- Type
- osteo_thesis
- Language
- English
- Submitted by:
- 62
- Pub-Identifier
- 16045
- Inst-Identifier
- 1229
- Keywords
- Inferior shoulder capsule, Rotator cuff pathology, Shoulder pain, Ultrasound
- Recommended
- 0
- Item sets
- Thesis
Laruelle, D, “ls there a link between shoulder pain, shoulder capsule width and rotator cuff (RTC) pathology?”, Osteopathic Research Web, accessed May 4, 2025, https://www.osteopathicresearch.com/s/orw/item/491