BACKGROUND: the pathogenesis of frozen shoulder (FS) is thought to be one of inflammation and fibrosis possibly influenced by hyperglycemia. Biomechanical changes of the shoulder joint in terms of muscle strength, scapular kinematics and proprioception might occur in FS.
OBJECTIVE: to compare muscle strength, scapular kinematics, proprioception, and blood glucose levels within patients with FS and to asymptomatic individuals.
METHODS: cross-sectional study.
METHODS: Thirty-five patients with FS and 35 asymptomatic age and gender-matched individuals underwent physical assessment to determine muscle strength (abduction, external and internal rotation), scapular kinematics (both visually and with a plurimeter), proprioception (joint position sense), and blood glucose level.
RESULTS: Patients with FS showed a decrease in muscle strength in their affected shoulder compared to both the unaffected shoulder and asymptomatic individuals. Significant differences were found between the affected and unaffected shoulder in the FS group and between groups (FS versus controls) in scapular upward rotation (plurimeter) at 30° and 60° abduction. No difference in scapular kinematics (visual observation), proprioception, and blood glucose levels was found neither between shoulders in the FS group nor between groups.
CONCLUSIONS: A clinically relevant difference in muscle strength and increase in scapular upward rotation were found in the affected shoulder of patients with FS compared to their unaffected side and controls. However, no evidence of different levels of scapular kinematics (visual observation), proprioception, and blood glucose levels in the affected shoulder compared to the unaffected shoulder or controls is lacking.

BACKGROUND: Contradictory evidence exists regarding the clinical course of frozen shoulder (FS).
OBJECTIVE: To explore the clinical course of FS regarding disabilities, pain, range of motion (ROM), muscle strength, scapular upward rotation, and proprioception and to establish longitudinal correlations between these variables.
METHODS: Patients with FS were prospectively followed for 9 months at 3-month intervals. Assessment included the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire; visual analogue scale for pain; an inclinometer for shoulder external rotation (ER), internal rotation (IR), flexion, and abduction ROM, and scapular upward rotation and proprioception, as well as handheld dynamometry for muscle strength in shoulder abduction, ER, and IR.
RESULTS: Initially, 149 patients (98 females; mean (SD) age 53 (9) years) were included, with 88 completing all follow-up assessments. Most variables showed early improvement in the clinical course of FS, particularly ER and IR at 90° abduction, which continued to improve from 6 to 9 months of follow-up. Associations were observed between disabilities and pain (r = 0.61), disabilities/pain and ROM (r=-0.62 to -0.59 and r=-0.47 to -0.39, respectively), disabilities/pain and muscle strength (r=-0.24 to -0.35 and r=-0.36 to -0.17, respectively), and between disabilities/pain and scapular upward rotation below shoulder level (r = 0.23 to 0.38 and r = 0.24 to 0.30, respectively). ROM correlated with muscle strength (r = 0.14 to 0.44), while both ROM and ER muscle strength correlated with scapular upward rotation below shoulder level (r=-0.37 to -0.23 and r=-0.17 to -0.12, respectively). Muscle strength correlated with scapular upward rotation above shoulder level (r = 0.28 to 0.38) and lift-off muscle strength correlated with joint repositioning (r=-0.17 to -0.15).
CONCLUSIONS: Almost all factors improved in the early phase (3-6 months) after baseline assessment, while ER and IR ROM at shoulder level continued to improve long term.

BACKGROUND: Rounded shoulder posture (RSP) is a common postural condition which can alter scapular position. Although, there is no consensus on the relationship between posture and musculoskeletal dysfunction, some evidence suggests a significant relationship between RSP and shoulder dysfunction. Therefore, treatment of this postural condition is important. Various treatment methods are used to correct RSP. However, the effectiveness of scapular mobilization, (SM) as a method which can alter scapular kinematics, has not been investigated.
OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of SM on scapular resting position in individuals with RSP, and to compare this technique to pectoralis minor self-stretching (PMS), and combined SM + PMS.
METHODS: 52 healthy students (18 men and 34 women; mean age 23.67 ± 6.73 years) with RSP were randomly assigned to four groups (SM, PMS, combined SM + PMS, control). The mobilization group received SM, the stretching group performed self-PMS, and the combined group received SM + PMS. The control group received no treatment. Kinematics data to measure scapular protraction (cm), anterior tilt (°), internal rotation (°), and downward rotation (°) were captured with a motion analysis system before and after 5 sessions of group intervention.
RESULTS: All variables decreased significantly post-intervention compared to baseline values (P < 0.05). Internal rotation and downward rotation decreased significantly in the intervention groups compared to the control group (P < 0.05). No significant differences were observed between the intervention groups.
CONCLUSIONS: SM appears to be an effective technique to change scapular resting position in individuals with RSP. However, this technique was not superior to PMS or a combination of SM + PMS.

UNASSIGNED: To determine the effectiveness of a scapular exercise programme in addition to a physical therapy treatment in patients with distal radius fracture.
UNASSIGNED: A single-blinded randomized controlled trial was conducted.
UNASSIGNED: Clinical Hospital San Borja Arriaran, Santiago, Chile.
UNASSIGNED: A total of 102 patients above 60 years of age with extra-articular distal radius fracture were randomly divided into two groups.
UNASSIGNED: The control group (n = 51) received a six-week physical therapy treatment; the intervention group (n = 51) received the same treatment plus a scapular exercise programme.
UNASSIGNED: The two groups were assessed at baseline and after the six-week treatment. The arm function was assessed with the disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand (DASH) questionnaire; secondary outcomes were measured by the patient-rated wrist evaluation (PRWE) questionnaire and visual analogue scale (VAS).
UNASSIGNED: A total of 102 patients, 51 in the control group (40 women; mean age of 65.3 ± 4.8 years) and 51 in the intervention group (42 women; mean age of 67.2 ± 5.4 years), were analysed. At the end of the treatment, the difference between groups for the DASH was 16.7 points (P < 0.001), 1.5 points (P = 0.541) for the PRWE, 0.2 cm (P = 0.484) for the VAS at rest, and 1.7 cm (P < 0.001) for the VAS at movement. All differences were in favour of the intervention group.
UNASSIGNED: In the short term, adding a scapular exercise programme provides a significant clinical benefit in arm function and pain relief with movement in patients above 60 years of age with extra-articular distal radius fracture treated conservatively.