Analysis of patients with adhesive capsulitis treated at the Kosovska Mitrovica Clinical Hospital Center over a two-year period

Abstract

Introduction/Objective. Adhesive capsulitis (AC) is a condition characterized by pain and significant reduction in active and passive movements in the glenohumeral joint, especially in external rotation. It is one of the most common and challenging clinical disorders encountered by orthopedic surgeons. AC is predominantly an idiopathic condition and has an increased prevalence in women and patients with diabetes mellitus and hypothyroidism. The etiology and pathogenesis are not entirely clear. Treatment options include conservative and surgical approaches, but the results remain controversial. Methods. The study included patients treated for primary (idiopathic) AC from June 2021 to June 2023 at the Kosovska Mitrovica Clinical Hospital Center. A total of 172 patients were treated. All were managed non-operatively with physical therapy and local intra-articular steroid injections. The patients were followed up on an outpatient basis monthly, then at six months, one year, and two years. Results. All patients were divided into two groups. The first group (87 patients) underwent physical procedures, while the second group (85 patients) received intra-articular corticosteroid injections. Patients that were treated with physical therapy were not administered injections of steroids, while the group of patients treated with corticosteroids were not given physical therapy. Patients were selected through randomization. Conclusion. Steroid injections may be beneficial in the early stages of the disease, especially in the first 6-8 weeks, but long-term results did not show any significant difference between the two groups of patients.

Keywords

• adhesive capsulitis
• shoulder
• physical therapy
• steroid therapy