Article

Some patients with postoperative adhesive capsulitis reach a plateau
in their recovery with a standard protocol of physical therapy (PT), which puts
them at risk for further surgical intervention. OBJECTIVES:
We aimed to evaluate
therapy for postoperative adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder in 2 groups of
patients: (1) those who used a high-intensity stretch (HIS) device after reaching
a plateau in their recovery with a standard protocol of traditional PT (PT+HIS)
and (2) those who showed no plateau in their recovery with a standard protocol of
traditional PT alone (PT only). METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the records
for 60 patients (51 males; mean age 46.7+/-12.6years) with postoperative adhesive
capsulitis who received treatment between March 2007 and May 2010. Forward
elevation and combined internal/external rotation at the initial postoperative
visit and final visit were measured. The measurements from group 2 patients were
used as an observational benchmark. RESULTS: The PT+HIS (n=42) and PT-only
(n=18)
patients did not differ in total follow-up time. Initial elevation was worse for
PT+HIS than PT-only patients (22.1 degrees lower, P=0.02),
but the final
elevation was equivalent. Initial rotation was worse for PT+HIS than PT-only
patients (16.6 degrees lower,
P=0.04), but the final rotation was higher for
PT+HIS patients (10.6 degrees higher, P=0.04). Gains in elevation and rotation
were greater for the PT+HIS than PT-only patients (P=0.04 and P=0.01).
CONCLUSIONS: Patients with postoperative adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder who
are unable to reach their PT treatment goals with a standard protocol of PT may
benefit from the addition of HIS to their treatment regimen. HIS could be a
valuable adjunct to PT for treating postoperative adhesive capsulitis in
appropriate patients.
CI - Copyright (c) 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Langue : ANGLAIS