Poster 7: Shoulder impingement syndrome: clinical indicators and short-term predictors of disability

Abstract

Objective: To identify the best indicators of the current disability of patients with shoulder impingement syndrome (SIS) and the strongest predictors of 3-month SIS-related disability. Design: Prospective cohort study. Setting: Movement analysis laboratory. Participants: 41 subjects with SIS. Interventions: Evaluations at baseline and at 3 months. Main Outcome Measures: Personal, occupational, and impairment variables and the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index (SPADI). Cross-sectional explicative and 3-month predictive regression models of the level of disability (SPADI score) were developed using multivariate analyses. Results: Strength deficits in shoulder abduction-lateral rotation, pain during muscle strength testing, painful arc in abduction, scapular anterior tilting asymmetry, gender, and age explained 91% of the variance of the SPADI at baseline. The SPADI score at baseline, perceived work capacity, acromiohumeral distance at 90° of abduction, acromiohumeral distance difference between shoulders at 110° of flexion, difference between active and passive range of motion in abduction, and the presence of SIS on the dominant side predicted 86% of the variance of the SPADI at 3 months. Conclusions: Variables that best explain the current disability level and predictors of short-term level of disability should be considered in SIS treatment planning as well as for establishing prognosis.