Abstract
Background – Frozen Shoulder is a common condition which causes significant morbidity in people of working age. The 2 most popular forms of surgical treatment for this condition are Manipulation under Anaesthesia (MUA) or MUA plus Arthroscopic Capsular Release (ACR). Both treatment modalities are known to give good results, but no-one has compared the 2 to see which is better.
Aim – To compare the outcome in patients with primary frozen shoulder, who are treated by either MUA or MUA plus ACR.
Method – 61 patients with primary frozen shoulder were treated by either MUA or MUA plus ACR. Each patient had their American Shoulder and Elbow Score (ASES), and their Oxford Shoulder Score (OSS) measured pre and post-operatively.
Results – The patients who had MUA plus ACR had a mean ASES of 24.8 preoperatively, 64 at 4 months, and a mean of 75.4 at 12 months. The mean OSS was 32.5 pre-operatively, 48.5 at 4 months and 53.4 at 12months. The patients who had a MUA had a mean ASES of 28.7 pre-operatively, 60.9 at 4months and 69.6 at 12months. The mean OSS was 33 preoperatively, 46.5 at 4 months and 50.9 at 12 months.
Conclusions – Both treatments give good results. MUA plus ACR give superior numerical results at 6 to 12 months post-operatively, however, these figures did not reach statistical significance
The abstracts were prepared by Cormac Kelly. Correspondence should be addressed to The Secretary, British Elbow and Shoulder Society, Royal College of Surgeons, 35–43 Lincoln’s Inn Fields, London WC2A 3PE
