Shoulder Pain In Primary Care Research Articles

Patient preferences for conservative treatment of shoulder pain: a discrete choice experiment.

Shoulder pain is common amongst adults, but little is known about patients' preferences. The aim of this study was to determine patients' preferences for treatment options offered for shoulder pain in primary care. A discrete choice experiment was used to investigate these preferences. Adults with shoulder pain were asked to make 12 choices between two treatment options, or to opt-out. The attributes of the 12 treatment options were presented as varying in: treatment effectiveness (50%, 70%, or 90%), risk of relapse (10%, 20%, or 30%), time to pain reduction (2 or 6 weeks), prevention of relapse (yes/no), requiring injection (yes/no), and including physiotherapy (none, 6, or 12 sessions). A conditional logit model with latent class analysis was used for the analysis and a class assignment model. Three hundred and twelve participants completed the questionnaire with mean age of 52 ± 15.2 years. Latent class analysis revealed three groups. Group 1 preferred to opt-out, unless the attributes were highly favorable (90% effectiveness). Group 2 preferred treatment, but not an injection. Group 3 preferred to opt-out and did not opt for treatment. The likelihood of a participant belonging to one of these groups was 68.8%, 9.3%, and 21.9%, respectively. The class assignment was related to having previously received injection or physiotherapy, as they did not prefer that same treatment again. This study showed that most patients with shoulder pain prefer to opt-out, unless treatment attributes are highly favorable. Characteristics of influence on this decision was whether the patient had received an injection or physiotherapy before.

Predicting outcomes across treatment settings in patients with shoulder pain referred to physiotherapy: a secondary analysis of two comparable prospective cohort studies

ObjectivePrevious studies have examined factors that may contribute to predicting outcomes for patients with shoulder pain. However, there is still a lack of consensus on which factors predict the results...

Clinical and cost effectiveness of a corticosteroid injection versus exercise therapy for shoulder pain in general practice: protocol for a randomised controlled trial (SIX Study)

IntroductionShoulder pain is common and the prognosis is often unfavourable. Dutch guidelines on the treatment of shoulder pain in primary care recommend a corticosteroid injection or a referral to exercise...

AB0967 OBESITY IMPACTS SURGICAL REPAIR OF ROTATOR CUFF TEAR IN A LOW-INCOME POPULATION

Background:Rotator cuff tears (RCT) rank high among causes of shoulder pain in primary care. Surgical repair of RCT is indicated when judged refractory to clinical treatment. Comorbidities and environmental issues may impact the surgical result of RCT repair.Objectives:to determine the impact of Obesity and Smoking in the outcome of low-income patients subjected to RCT repair.Methods:Low-income (<5500,00 US$ annualpib per capta*) patients living in Fortaleza-CE, Brazil were prospectively (2016-2018) evaluated in the Orthopedic and Rheumatology Services of the Hospital Geral de Fortaleza. Demographics and clinical data focusing Obesity (BMI >/≤ 30) and Smoking status (present/absent) were registered. Pain (0 – 10 cm VAS) and functional shoulder score evaluation by the University of California at Los Angeles Shoulder Score (UCLA) and American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) scoring systems following at least 2 years post-operative follow-up were recorded.Results:Thirty-nine individuals, 60.9±7.1 years-old, 30 female (68.3%) with 5.1 ± 1.9 years follow-up were evaluated; 21 (44.7%) were Smokers and 12 (25.5%) Obese (BMI >30). Other comorbidities included 16 arterial hypertension, 18 dyslipidemia, 17 osteoarthritis, 4 rheumatoid arthritis, 1 gout. Pain VAS values were 5.1 ± 2.6 vs 3.1 ± 2.8 in Obese vs Non-Obese (p=0.03) and 4 ± 2.8 vs 3.37 ± 2.99 in Smokers vs Non-Smokers (p=0.26), respectively. UCLA was 22.4 ± 8.2 vs. 28.79 ± 5.6 in Obese vs Non-Obese (p=0.004) and 26.2 ± 6.5 vs. 27.75 ± 7.18 (p=0.25) in Smokers vs. Non-smokers, respectively. ASES was 47.89 ± 28.3 vs. 68.1 ± 25.78 (p=0.021) in Obese vs. Non-obese and 58.98 ± 26.69 vs 65.3 ± 28.1 (p=0.243) in Smokers vs Non-Smokers, respectively.Conclusion:Using Patient Reported Outcome instruments, these long-term data show that Obesity negatively impacts the outcome of surgical repair of RCT in low-income patients. Smoking status was apparently irrelevant but the number of cigarettes smoked daily was not considered. Emphasis on weight reduction is a practical, affordable though hard to implement measure that could improve surgical results when repairing RCT.

Agreement and reliability of a symptom modification test cluster for patients with subacromial pain syndrome.

To identify if a plausible theoretical construct exists for a test cluster in a group of patients with subacromial pain syndrome presenting with glenohumeral internal rotation deficit (GIRD); determine the intertester agreement and reliability of the proposed test cluster; determine if there are any meaningful relationships between the test cluster and the component tests for the entire sample; and determine if there are any differences in disability on the Dutch version of the shoulder pain and disability index between participants with a positive and negative test cluster. This study is a retrospective secondary analysis of data that were collected to determine the interrater agreement and reliability of clinical tests for assessment of patients with shoulder pain in primary care. The test cluster total agreement and negative specific agreement was 87.8 and 90.4%, respectively. The prevalence-adjusted bias-adjusted kappa for the test cluster was substantial at 0.76. There were statistically significant meaningful relationships (≥0.50) between GIRD and the test cluster for Tester A (Phi = 0.71, p < .01) and Tester B (Phi = 0.82, p < .01). No differences in disability were identified between those with a positive and negative test cluster. The test cluster described in this study may be a reliable means of identifying a subgroup of patients with subacromial pain syndrome related to GIRD. Future research should look to validate this test cluster prospectively.

Platelet-rich Plasma for Shoulder Joint

Introduction: Shoulder pain is a common and disabling complaint. The reported annual incidence of shoulder pain in primary care is 14.7 per 1000 patients per year with a lifetime prevalence of up to 70%. The most common causes of shoulder pain are rotator cuff tendinopathy, frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis and acromioclavicular (AC) joint osteoarthritis. Glenohumeral joint arthritis is uncommon. Discussion: Platelet rich plasma (PRP) is plasma that contains higher than physiologic platelet content. It has been seen that these growth factors are markedly up-regulated following tendon injury and are active at multiple stages of the healing process. Platelet rich plasma is an autologous source of growth factors and has been found to be helpful for treatment of tendinopathies and osteoarthritis. Platelet rich plasma injections for shoulder joint pathologies can be done using either fluoroscopy or by ultrasound guidance. Conclusion: Fluoroscopic guided PRP injection is better than ultrasound guidance as it helps to inject PRP with a single needle prick at three sites including glenohumoral joint, supraspinatous tendon and acromioclavicular joint.

E24 Corticosteroid injections for shoulder pain in primary care: patient characteristics, management and timing of referral

e24 Corticosteroid injections for shoulder pain in primary care: patient characteristics, management and timing of referral

Physiotherapy for patients with shoulder pain in primary care: a descriptive study of diagnostic- and therapeutic management

BackgroundShoulder pain is one of the three main musculoskeletal complaints and more than 50% of the patients have symptoms longer than 6 months. Until now, limited data exist about the content of physiotherapy for patients with shoulder pain in primary care. ObjectiveDescribe current physiotherapeutic diagnostic- and therapeutic management, including the use of diagnostic ultrasound, in patients with shoulder pain in primary care. Design and settingA prospective cohort study in primary care physiotherapy with a 12 week follow-up. MethodsDescriptive data from physiotherapists was collected, such as: the diagnostic hypotheses after patient history and physical examination, the use of specific tests and diagnostic ultrasound, the interventions used and possible changes in treatment plan. ResultsSubacromial impingement syndrome was the most common hypothesis after patient history (48%) as well as physical examination (39%). Diagnostic ultrasound was used in 31% and of these patients the clinical diagnosis changed in 29%. Various interventions were used in all clinical diagnoses. After 12 weeks 41% of patients still received physiotherapy treatment. ConclusionsPatients with shoulder pain in physiotherapy practice frequently show signs of subacromial impingement syndrome. The interventions used by the physiotherapists were generally in line with the guideline for subacromial impingement syndrome however a small proportion of physiotherapists used massage and tape/bracing techniques. A large proportion of patients were still receiving treatment after 12 weeks when no improvement was observed. If treatment for patients with subacromial impingement shows no benefit patients should be referred back to the general practitioner or orthopedic surgeon. Conclusions from this study might be slightly biased because of the selection of physiotherapists.

Shoulder pain in primary care: frozen shoulder.

BACKGROUND AND CONTEXT Frozen shoulder is a painful condition that follows a protracted clinical course. We aim to review the management of patients with a diagnosis of frozen shoulder who are referred for specialist orthopaedic evaluation against existing guidelines in primary care. ASSESSMENT OF PROBLEM Referrals and clinical records were reviewed for all patients referred for orthopaedic specialist assessment who received a specialist diagnosis of frozen shoulder. Diagnostic, investigation and management practices from a regional primary health care setting in New Zealand were compared with guideline-recommended management. RESULTS Eighty patients with frozen shoulder were referred for orthopaedic evaluation in the 13 month study period, mostly from general practice. Fifteen patients (19%) were identified as having a frozen shoulder in their medical referral. Most (99%) had received previous imaging. Seven patients (12%) had received guideline recommended treatment. STRATEGIES FOR IMPROVEMENT Education of all clinicians involved in patient management is important to ensure an understanding of the long natural history of frozen shoulder and provide reassurance that outcomes are generally excellent. HealthPathways now include more information regarding diagnosis, imaging and evidence-based management for frozen shoulder. LESSONS Frozen shoulder may be under-diagnosed among patients referred for orthopaedic review. Ultrasound imaging is commonly used and may identify occult and unrelated pathology in this age-group. When managed according to clinical guidelines, patients report significant clinical and functional improvement with most reporting 80% function compared with normal after 1 year. KEYWORDS Adhesive capsulitis; bursitis; injections; practice guideline; primary health care; ultrasound.

I65. Treating Shoulder Pain in Primary Care: Steroid Injections or Exercises?

I65. Treating Shoulder Pain in Primary Care: Steroid Injections or Exercises?

Shoulder pain in primary care--part 2: predictors of clinical outcome to 12 months.

Identify predictor variables and models for clinical outcomes for primary care shoulder pain patients to 12 months follow-up. A non-randomized audit with measures of pain and disability at 3 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months. Of 208 patients, 161 agreed to participate with 96.9, 98.1, 87.0 and 83.9% follow-up at 3 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months respectively. Treatment consisted of exercise and manual therapy-based physiotherapy and corticosteroid injection under specified selection criteria. Potentially useful baseline variables were evaluated in univariate logistic regressions with the dependent variables determined by SPADI Questionnaire at 3 weeks, 3, 6 and 12 months. Variables associated (p-value ≤ 0.2) were retained for potential inclusion within multiple logistic regression analyses. Pain not improved by rest, intermittent pain, lower pain intensity with physical tests and absence of subacromial bursa pathology on ultrasound at the 3-week follow-up, constant pain and lower pain intensity with physical tests are predictors of excellent outcomes at the 3-month follow- up. Worse baseline pain and disability, no history of asthma, pain better with rest, better physical functioning, greater fear avoidance, male gender, no history of pain in the opposite shoulder, pain referred below the elbow, sleep disturbed by pain, smaller waist circumference, lower pain intensity with physical tests are factors predictive of excellent outcomes at the 12-month follow-up. Only higher pain intensity with physical tests was associated with a poor clinical outcome. Predictive models for clinical outcomes in primary-care patients with shoulder pain were achieved for excellent clinical outcomes, successfully classifying 70-90% of cases.

Influence of fear-avoidance beliefs on disability in patients with subacromial shoulder pain in primary care: a secondary analysis.

Little information exists about the role of fear-avoidance beliefs and catastrophizing in subacromial pain syndrome. The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations among pain, catastrophizing, fear, and disability and the contribution of fear-avoidance beliefs to disability at baseline and at 3-month follow-up. A cross-sectional and longitudinal analysis was conducted. Baseline demographic and clinical data, including fear-avoidance beliefs and catastrophizing, of 90 patients were assessed for this analysis. Disability was measured with the Shoulder Pain and Disability Index at baseline and at 3-month follow-up. First, bivariate and partial correlations were calculated among pain, fear-avoidance beliefs, catastrophizing, and disability, based on the fear-avoidance model. Second, the contribution of fear-avoidance beliefs to disability at baseline and at 3-month follow-up was examined with hierarchical regression analyses. Correlations between clinical variables and disability were largely in line with the fear-avoidance model. Regression analyses identified a significant contribution of fear-avoidance beliefs to baseline disability but not to disability at 3 months. Patients with subacromial pain syndrome were studied; therefore, the results should be transferred with caution to other diagnoses. A modified version of the Fear-Avoidance Beliefs Questionnaire was used, which was not validated for this patient group. Fear-avoidance beliefs contribute significantly to baseline disability but not to disability change scores after 3-month follow-up. Duration of complaints and baseline disability were the main factors influencing disability change scores. Although the results help to improve understanding of the role of fear-avoidance beliefs, further studies are needed to fully understand the influence of psychological and clinical factors on the development of disability in patients with subacromial shoulder pain.

Shoulder pain in primary care: diagnostic accuracy of clinical examination tests for non-traumatic acromioclavicular joint pain

BackgroundDespite numerous methodological flaws in previous study designs and the lack of validation in primary care populations, clinical tests for identifying acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) pain are widely utilised without concern for such issues. The aim of this study was to estimate the diagnostic accuracy of traditional ACJ tests and to compare their accuracy with other clinical examination features for identifying a predominant ACJ pain source in a primary care cohort.MethodsConsecutive patients with shoulder pain were recruited prospectively from primary health care clinics. Following a standardised clinical examination and diagnostic injection into the subacromial bursa, all participants received a fluoroscopically guided diagnostic block of 1% lidocaine hydrochloride (XylocaineTM) into the ACJ. Diagnostic accuracy statistics including sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, positive and negative likelihood ratios (LR+ and LR-) were calculated for traditional ACJ tests (Active Compression/O’Brien’s test, cross-body adduction, localised ACJ tenderness and Hawkins-Kennedy test), and for individual and combinations of clinical examination variables that were associated with a positive anaesthetic response (PAR) (P≤0.05) defined as 80% or more reduction in post-injection pain intensity during provocative clinical tests.ResultsTwenty two of 153 participants (14%) reported an 80% PAR. None of the traditional ACJ tests were associated with an 80% PAR (P<0.05) and combinations of traditional tests were not able to discriminate between a PAR and a negative anaesthetic response (AUC 0.507; 95% CI: 0.366, 0.647; P>0.05). Five clinical examination variables (repetitive mechanism of pain onset, no referred pain below the elbow, thickened or swollen ACJ, no symptom provocation during passive glenohumeral abduction and external rotation) were associated with an 80% PAR (P<0.05) and demonstrated an ability to accurately discriminate between an PAR and NAR (AUC 0.791; 95% CI 0.702, 0.880; P<0.001). Less than two positive clinical features resulted in 96% sensitivity (95% CI 0.78, 0.99) and a LR- 0.09 (95% CI 0.02, 0.41) and four positive clinical features resulted in 95% specificity (95% CI 0.90, 0.98) and a LR+ of 4.98 (95% CI 1.69, 13.84).ConclusionsIn this cohort of primary care patients with predominantly subacute or chronic ACJ pain of non-traumatic onset, traditional ACJ tests were of limited diagnostic value. Combinations of other history and physical examination findings were able to more accurately identify injection-confirmed ACJ pain in this cohort.

Current management and prognostic factors in physiotherapy practice for patients with shoulder pain: design of a prospective cohort study

BackgroundShoulder pain is disabling and has a considerable socio-economic impact. Over 50% of patients presenting in primary care still have symptoms after 6 months; moreover, prognostic factors such as pain intensity, age, disability level and duration of complaints are associated with poor outcome. Most shoulder complaints in this group are categorized as non-specific. Musculoskeletal ultrasound might be a useful imaging method to detect subgroups of patients with subacromial disorders.This article describes the design of a prospective cohort study evaluating the influence of known prognostic and possible prognostic factors, such as findings from musculoskeletal ultrasound outcome and working alliance, on the recovery of shoulder pain. Also, to assess the usual physiotherapy care for shoulder pain and examine the inter-rater reliability of musculoskeletal ultrasound between radiologists and physiotherapists for patients with shoulder pain.MethodsA prospective cohort study including an inter-rater reliability study. Patients presenting in primary care physiotherapy practice with shoulder pain are enrolled. At baseline validated questionnaires are used to measure patient characteristics, disease-specific characteristics and social factors. Physical examination is performed according to the expertise of the physiotherapists. Follow-up measurements will be performed 6, 12 and 26 weeks after inclusion. Primary outcome measure is perceived recovery, measured on a 7-point Likert scale. Logistic regression analysis will be used to evaluate the association between prognostic factors and recovery.DiscussionThe ShoCoDiP (Shoulder Complaints and using Diagnostic ultrasound in Physiotherapy practice) cohort study will provide information on current management of patients with shoulder pain in primary care, provide data to develop a prediction model for shoulder pain in primary care and to evaluate whether musculoskeletal ultrasound can improve prognosis.

The Maastricht Ultrasound Shoulder pain trial (MUST): Ultrasound imaging as a diagnostic triage tool to improve management of patients with non-chronic shoulder pain in primary care

BackgroundSubacromial disorders are considered to be one of the most common pathologies affecting the shoulder. Optimal therapy for shoulder pain (SP) in primary care is yet unknown, since clinical history and physical examination do not provide decisive evidence as to the patho-anatomical origin of the symptoms. Optimal decision strategies can be furthered by applying ultrasound imaging (US), an accurate method in diagnosing SP, demonstrating a clear relationship between diagnosis and available therapies. Yet, the clinical cost-effectiveness of applying US in the management of SP in primary care has not been studied. The aim of this paper is to describe the design and methods of a trial assessing the cost-effectiveness of ultrasound imaging as a diagnostic triage tool to improve management of primary care patients with non-chronic shoulder pain.Methods/DesignThis randomised controlled trial (RCT) will involve 226 adult patients with suspected subacromial disorders recruited by general practitioners. During a Qualification period of two weeks, patients receive care as usual as advised by the Dutch College of General Practitioners, and patients are referred for US. Patients with insufficient improvement qualify for the RCT. These patients are then randomly assigned to the intervention or the control group. The therapies used in both groups are the same (corticosteroid injections, referral to a physiotherapist or orthopedic surgeon) except that therapies used in the intervention group will be tailored based on the US results. Ultrasound diagnosed disorders include tendinopathy, calcific tendinitis, partial and full thickness tears, and subacromial bursitis. The primary outcome is patient-perceived recovery at 52 weeks, using the Global Perceived Effect questionnaire. Secondary outcomes are disease specific and generic quality of life, cost-effectiveness, and the adherence to the initial applied treatment. Outcome measures will be assessed at baseline, 13, 26, 39 and 52 weeks after inclusion. An economic evaluation will be performed from both a health care and societal perspective with a time horizon of 52 weeks.DiscussionThe results of this trial will give unique evidence regarding the cost-effectiveness of US as a diagnostic triage tool in the management of SP in primary care.

A prospective study of shoulder pain in primary care: Prevalence of imaged pathology and response to guided diagnostic blocks

BackgroundThe prevalence of imaged pathology in primary care has received little attention and the relevance of identified pathology to symptoms remains unclear. This paper reports the prevalence of imaged pathology and the association between pathology and response to diagnostic blocks into the subacromial bursa (SAB), acromioclavicular joint (ACJ) and glenohumeral joint (GHJ).MethodsConsecutive patients with shoulder pain recruited from primary care underwent standardised x-ray, diagnostic ultrasound scan and diagnostic injections of local anaesthetic into the SAB and ACJ. Subjects who reported less than 80% reduction in pain following either of these injections were referred for a magnetic resonance arthrogram (MRA) and GHJ diagnostic block. Differences in proportions of positive and negative imaging findings in the anaesthetic response groups were assessed using Fishers test and odds ratios were calculated a for positive anaesthetic response (PAR) to diagnostic blocks.ResultsIn the 208 subjects recruited, the rotator cuff and SAB displayed the highest prevalence of pathology on both ultrasound (50% and 31% respectively) and MRA (65% and 76% respectively). The prevalence of PAR following SAB injection was 34% and ACJ injection 14%. Of the 59% reporting a negative anaesthetic response (NAR) for both of these injections, 16% demonstrated a PAR to GHJ injection. A full thickness tear of supraspinatus on ultrasound was associated with PAR to SAB injection (OR 5.02; p < 0.05). Ultrasound evidence of a biceps tendon sheath effusion (OR 8.0; p < 0.01) and an intact rotator cuff (OR 1.3; p < 0.05) were associated with PAR to GHJ injection. No imaging findings were strongly associated with PAR to ACJ injection (p ≤ 0.05).ConclusionsRotator cuff and SAB pathology were the most common findings on ultrasound and MRA. Evidence of a full thickness supraspinatus tear was associated with symptoms arising from the subacromial region, and a biceps tendon sheath effusion and an intact rotator cuff were associated with an intra-articular GHJ pain source. When combined with clinical information, these results may help guide diagnostic decision making in primary care.

Costs of shoulder pain in primary care consulters: a prospective cohort study in The Netherlands.

BackgroundShoulder pain is common in primary care, and has an unfavourable outcome in many patients. Information on the costs associated with health care use and loss of productivity in patients with shoulder pain is very scarce. The objective of this study was to determine shoulder pain related costs during the 6 months after first consultation in general practiceMethodsA prospective cohort study consisting of 587 patients with a new episode of shoulder pain was conducted with a follow-up period of 6 months. Data on costs were collected by means of a cost diary during 6 months.Results84% of the patients completed all cost diaries. The mean consumption of direct health care and non-health related care was low. During 6 months after first consultation for shoulder pain, the mean total costs a patient generated were €689. Almost 50% of this total concerned indirect costs, caused by sick leave from paid work. A small proportion (12%) of the population generated 74% of the total costs.ConclusionThe total costs in the 6 months after first consultation for shoulder pain in primary care, mostly generated by a small part of the population, are not alarmingly high.

A cost consequences analysis of local corticosteroid injection and physiotherapy for the treatment of new episodes of unilateral shoulder pain in primary care

Local steroid injections and community-based physiotherapy have been shown to be of similar benefit for treating shoulder pain presenting to primary care. This paper presents a cost consequences analysis of a prospective economic evaluation, conducted alongside a randomized clinical trial (RCT) of corticosteroid injections versus physiotherapy for new episodes of unilateral shoulder pain, to determine the economic implications of injection versus physiotherapy. A pragmatic RCT with 207 patients randomized to either physiotherapy (n = 103) or local steroid injection (n = 104) was conducted. The resource inputs required were identified for each treatment arm in terms of capital, staff and consumables. These were measured for the period up to 6 months post-randomization. Outcome measures included shoulder disability, shoulder pain, global assessment of health change and the EQ5D, all at 6 months. A sensitivity analysis was performed around the general practitioner minor surgical fee. Analysis is presented on the 199 patients for which the general practice record review (101 physiotherapy, 98 injection) was available. The total mean costs, per patient, were 71.28 pound sterling for the injection group and 114.60 pound sterling for the physiotherapy group. The difference in average total cost per patient was 43.32 pound sterling (95% bootstrap confidence interval: 16.21 pound sterling, 68.03 pound sterling ). This is a statistically significant difference in cost. Outcome was similar in both groups across all measures following intervention. Smaller mean differences in cost were observed between the treatment groups in the sensitivity analysis, but the difference remained in favour of injection over physiotherapy. This study has shown, given similar clinical outcomes across the treatment groups, that corticosteroid injections were the cost-effective option for patients presenting with new episodes of unilateral shoulder pain in primary care.

The effectiveness of diagnostic tests for the assessment of shoulder pain due to soft tissue disorders: a systematic review

To evaluate the evidence for the effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of the newer diagnostic imaging tests as an addition to clinical examination and patient history for the diagnosis of soft tissue shoulder disorders. Literature was identified from several sources including general medical databases. Studies were identified that evaluated clinical examination, ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or magnetic resonance arthrography (MRA) in patients suspected of having soft tissue shoulder disorders. Outcomes assessed were clinical impingement syndrome or rotator cuff tear (full, partial or any). Only cohort studies were included. The methodological quality of included test accuracy studies was assessed using a formal quality assessment tool for diagnostic studies and the extraction of study findings was conducted in duplicate using a pre-designed and piloted data extraction form to avoid any errors. For each test, sensitivity, specificity and positive and negative likelihood ratios with 95% confidence intervals were calculated for each study. Where possible pooled estimates of sensitivity, specificity and likelihood ratios were calculated using random effects methods. Potential sources of heterogeneity were investigated by conducting subgroup analyses. In the included studies, the prevalence of rotator cuff disorders was generally high, partial verification of patients was common and in many cases patients who were selected retrospectively because they had undergone the reference test. Sample sizes were generally very small. Reference tests were often inappropriate with many studies using arthrography alone, despite problems with its sensitivity. For clinical assessment, 10 cohort studies were found that examined either the accuracy of individual tests or clinical examination as a whole: individual tests were either good at ruling out rotator cuff tears when negative (high sensitivity) or at ruling in such disorders when positive (high specificity), but small sample sizes meant that there was no conclusive evidence. Ultrasound was investigated in 38 cohort studies and found to be most accurate when used for the detection of full-thickness tears; sensitivity was lower for detection of partial-thickness tears. For MRI, 29 cohort studies were included. For full-thickness tears, overall pooled sensitivities and specificities were fairly high and the studies were not statistically heterogeneous; however for the detection of partial-thickness rotator cuff tears, the pooled sensitivity estimate was much lower. The results from six MRA studies suggested that it may be very accurate for detection of full-thickness rotator cuff tears, although its performance for the detection of partial-thickness tears was less consistent. Direct evidence for the performance of one test compared with another is very limited. The results suggest that clinical examination by specialists can rule out the presence of a rotator cuff tear, and that either MRI or ultrasound could equally be used for detection of full-thickness rotator cuff tears, although ultrasound may be better at picking up partial tears. Ultrasound also may be more cost-effective in a specialist hospital setting for identification of full-thickness tears. Further research suggestions include the need for large, well-designed, prospective studies of the diagnosis of shoulder pain, in particular a follow-up study of patients with shoulder pain in primary care and a prospective cohort study of clinical examination, ultrasound and MRI, alone and/or in combination.

The clinical course of shoulder pain: prospective cohort study in primary care

Current knowledge of the clinical course and efficacy of treatment for shoulder pain comes mainly from studies of hospital patients. However, only a few patients experiencing such pain require referral to a specialist. Although shoulder pain is common in the general population, the outcome of patients presenting in general practice is unknown.1 We conducted a prospective cohort study to determine the outcome of shoulder pain in primary care. Twelve general practitioners recruited 166 patients who consulted with a new episode of shoulder pain during one year. They recorded demographic information, diagnosis, management, and an assessment of passive elevation of the shoulder; patients assessed the disability associated with their symptoms with a validated 22 item disability questionnaire.2 To assess outcome, identical disability questionnaires were sent to patients six and 18 months after consultation, together with a question measuring self assessed change in symptoms …