Adhesive capsulitis is a condition characterized by a painful and progressive loss of shoulder range of motion. It typically progresses through painful, freezing, and thawing phases over 1-2 years. Treatment involves medications to manage pain, physical therapy to restore range of motion, and in refractory cases, procedures like corticosteroid injections or surgery. While pain is usually transient, some patients may develop permanent loss of range of motion.

1. Adhesive Capsulitis
Mohamed Ahmed Hefny, MD.

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3. Definition
• Primary idiopathic, progressive, painful but self-limited restriction of
active and passive range of motion.
• Insidious onset and progresses through several stages, usually during
the course of 1 to 2 years.
1. Painful phase
2. Freezing or adhesive phase, and
3. Thawing or resolution phase
• Occurs in 2% to 5% of the general population and accounts
for approximately 6% of office visits to shoulder specialists

5. • Preferentially affects women after the age of 50
• Involves the non-dominant shoulder, and develops in the opposite
shoulder in 20% to 30% of cases.
• The primary etiology is unknown, but it is associated with numerous
secondary causes, including immobilization, diabetes,
hypothyroidism, autoimmune disease, and treatment of breast cancer

6. • Pathologic process related to it involves structures both intrinsic to the
glenohumeral joint and surrounding
• It is not clear, stimulation of synovitis leads to fibrosis due to the
activation of various cytokines, including growth factors such as
transforming growth factor-β.
• Pathologic findings ultimately depend on its stage when it is assessed.
1. Painful phase, is characterized by synovitis that progresses to capsular
thickening (particularly in the anterior and inferior portions of the
capsule) with an associated reduction in synovial fluid.
2. Adhesive phase, fibrosis of the capsule is more pronounced, and
thickening of the rotator cuff tendons is common.
3. Resolution phase, the glenohumeral joint space becomes contracted
and often obliterated. Pathologic change is more consistent with
chronic inflammation with resolution of joint space loss during the final
stage.

7. Symptoms
Will depend on the stage of adhesive capsulitis.
• In stage 1 (symptoms lasting < 3 months),
1. Gradual onset of progressive pain
2. Worse during the night
3. Exacerbated by overhead activities
4. gradual loss of motion
• In stage 2 (lasting 9-12 months)
1. progressive increase in pain
2. ROM reduction and decreased use of the affected shoulder
• Stage 3, the “thawing stage,”
1. Gradual decrease in pain and increase in the pain-free ROM
2. Some individuals will return to normal, but not all

8. Physical Examination
• During the painful and adhesive stages there is a:
1. Measurable reduction in both passive and active shoulder ROM
2. Motion is painful, particularly at the extremes of external rotation and
abduction
• This pattern of motion loss is consistent with a capsular pattern of
passive range of motion loss, which demonstrates a greater limitation
in external rotation and abduction followed by an increasing loss of
flexion.
• These signs are similar to those found in osteoarthritis of the
glenohumeral joint, in which there is a similar loss of motion with
shoulder pain.

9. • However, this presentation is in contrast to findings seen in rotator cuff
tears, in which active range of motion is restricted but passive range of
motion may approximate normal values.
• A reduced glenohumeral glide is often noted with adhesive capsulitis,
especially with inferior translation.
• The relationship of glenohumeral joint movements independent of
scapulothoracic motion should also be noted.
• Last, the shoulder is often painful to palpation around the rotator cuff
tendons distally. As symptoms start to improve and the patient enters
the resolution stage, there is a reversal of the loss of motion, with
internal rotation being the last to improve.

10. • Neurologic evaluation findings are usually normal in adhesive capsulitis,
although manual muscle testing may detect weakness secondary to pain
or disuse.
• However, concomitant rotator cuff involvement is common and could
explain true weakness if it is noted on physical examination.
• The combination of myotomal weakness, altered dermatomal sensation,
reflex asymmetry, and positive findings with cervical spine provocative
testing is more suggestive of a neurologic cause of shoulder pain.

11. Functional Limitations
• Patients often experience sleep disruption as a result of pain or inability
to sleep on the affected side.
• Inability to perform activities of daily living (e.g., fastening a bra in the
back, putting on a belt, reaching for a wallet in the back pocket,
reaching for a seat belt, combing the hair) is common.
• Work activities may be limited, particularly those that involve overhead
activities (e.g., filing above waist level, stocking shelves, lifting boards or
other items).
• Recreational activities (e.g., difficulty serving or throwing a ball, inability
to do the crawl stroke in swimming) are also affected.

12. Diagnostic Studies
• AC is associated with other comorbidities in addition to common
neoplastic processes, routine blood work and radiographs should be
obtained to rule out secondary causes
• Radiographs in patients with AC are generally normal. In advanced
stages, joint space narrowing may be noted on arthrograms as there is a
reduced volume of injectable contrast material into the joint.
• MRI may also prove to be a useful diagnostic tool; studies have
confirmed findings seen at arthroscopy, including thickening of the
coracohumeral ligament and obliteration of the subcoracoid space.
• US allows a dynamic view of the shoulder region with a sensitivity of 91%,
a specificity of 100%, and an accuracy of 92% for detection of AC.

13. Arthrogram of shoulder with advanced
adhesive capsulitis with a contracted
joint space. Note the absence of the
axillaryrecess and the reduced amount
of contrast material injected.

14. Treatment
Initial
• Goals depend on the stage of AC
• General goals are to:
1. Decrease pain and inflammation
2. Increasing the shoulder ROM in all planes.
• Pain and inflammation should be managed with ice, medications, and activity
modifications. NASID’s is generally advocated, although it has not been clearly shown
to have an impact on the resolution of pain.
• A short trial of oral steroids has been shown to more rapidly decrease pain compared
with placebo, but the benefits are not sustained during long-term follow-up.
• Intra-articular injection of corticosteroids (± Lidocaine) has been shown to be helpful
during the early stages of AC compared with placebo, but it does not change long-
term outcomes.

15. Rehabilitation
• The standard of treatment mainly involves physical therapy and home exercises to
restore range of motion for the treatment of adhesive capsulitis.
• The clinician will measure the need for physical therapy versus a home exercise
program and rate of progression of therapy as AC can take months to years to
resolve.
1. Factors affecting the setting and pace of rehabilitation include
2. Severity of the patient’s symptoms
3. Physical examination findings
4. Ability to perform the exercises appropriately, and
5. Compliance with a home exercise program
• Initially, pendulum exercises, overhead stretches, and crossed adduction of the
affected arm should be taught to patients while they are in the physician’s office
once AC is suspected to prevent further loss of function

20. • Others will choose physical therapy early to manage pain, to improve
the pain-free ROM, and to prevent further contraction of the joint
capsule.
• As the patient progresses with physical therapy, a more detailed
home exercise program should be implemented on the basis of the
patient’s understanding of and compliance with the exercises.
• If the patient shows continued progress with less pain and improved
ROM, exercises should be graduated to strengthening of rotator cuff
muscles and periscapular stabilizers.
• Once symptoms resolve, patients should be encouraged to continue
the home exercise program to maintain range of motion and to
prevent recurrence of AC.

21. Procedures
• In the treatment of AC, procedures are often performed in conjunction
with physical therapy sessions and primarily involve pain-alleviating
modalities.
• These procedures may include intra-articular joint injection,
suprascapular nerve blocks, and joint capsule hydrodilation
• Intra-articular injections can be used to break pain cycles.
• Several small studies using suprascapular nerve blocks have also
reported them to be helpful in breaking pain cycles associated with AC.
• Hydrodilation involves glenohumeral injections with saline or lidocaine
to lyse adhesions and to distend the capsule. Unfortunately, more
studies are needed to fully understand its efficacy.

22. Surgery
• The decision to perform surgery is based on failure of conservative
management or an unacceptable QOL.
• Manipulation under anesthesia followed by immediate physical
therapy focusing on improvement of ROM of the glenohumeral joint
can be helpful for refractory cases.
• Arthroscopic lysis of adhesions may be an effective option if all else
has failed

23. Potential Disease Complications
• Pain is usually transient but can persist for months as the condition runs
its clinical course.
• The loss of ROM seen in AC is usually regained, but it has been reported
that as many as 15% of patients develop permanent loss of full ROM.
• ROM loss is often not associated with functional deficits

24. Potential Treatment Complications
• Treatment complications from conservative management are rare but
can include side effects associated with NSAID’s and analgesic
medications; these include GI bleeds, gastritis, toxic hepatitis, and renal
failure.
• Caution should be used in the treatment of patients with CHF and HTN
because of fluid retention associated with the use of NSAID’s.
• Patients undergoing physical therapy could experience significant pain
from too aggressive therapeutic exercises or manipulation.
• In patients undergoing suprascapular nerve blocks, care must be taken
to prevent intraneural and intravascular injections.
• A common surgical complication that can occur is a humeral fracture
during manipulations under anesthesia.

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