Frozen Shoulder -
Basics
Puneet Monga
Frozen shoulder
• Adhesive capsulitis
• Pathology
• similar to dupuytren’s
• fibroblastic proliferation
Associations
• Diabetes
• Dupuytren’s contracture
Presentation
• The Story
• The examination
• Screening test; Passive External
Rotation
Natural history
• 3 phases-
• Freezing
• Frozen
• Thawing
Investigations
• XRAYS - to Exclude other mimicking
conditions
• THIS is a clinical diagnosis
Differentials
• Sudden onset severe pain
• Adhesive capsulitis
• Calcific tendonitis
• PT syndrome
• Loss of ER
• Adhesive capsulitis
• OA
• Locked Post dislocation
Management
• Options?
Non operative mgx
• Steroid: good for Pain not ROM
• Hydrodilation: moderate ST relief- High
patient satisfaction
• Laser: Strong evidence
• Oral steroids: short term moderate
effect
• SS nerve block: Pain reliefClin J Sport Med. 2012 Mar;22(2):168-9.
The effectiveness of nonoperative treatment for frozen
shoulder: a systematic review.
Tashjian RZ.
Physiotherapy
• + Safe
• - May be too painful to be effective
Hydrodilatation
• + High patient satisfaction
• - Availability, pain
Operative treatment
• 89.5% can be treated non-operatively
• 10% pts’ needed release at 12 months
from the onset of symptoms
J Shoulder Elbow Surg. 2007 Sep-Oct;16(5):569-73. Epub 2007 May 24.
Nonoperative management of idiopathic adhesive capsulitis.
Levine WN, Kashyap CP, Bak SF, Ahmad CS, Blaine TA, Bigliani LU.
MUA
• + Technically easy
• - Risk of fractures
A’scopic capsular
release
• + Precise and safe in the right setup
• - Surgical risks
Normal A’scopy
A’scopic images
Release
Post-release
Questions?

Frozen shoulder