Ultrasonographic Assessment of Painful and Stiff Hemiplegic Shoulder in Subacute Stroke Patients in Terms of Adhesive Capsulitis

Hemiplegic shoulder pain is one of the commonly seen complications of a stroke. Limitation of shoulder joint movement is added to hemiplegic shoulder pain in time. Therefore, adhesive capsulitis is one of the differential diagnoses that come to mind first in patients with hemiplegic shoulder pain and stiffness. Indeed, in arthrographic and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, it has been reported that adhesive capsulitis (or more accurately, capsular changes), is quite frequent.

Although a relationship has been reported between stroke and adhesive capsulitis, it is controversial whether the underlying cause of the capsular changes seen in hemiplegic shoulder pain is true adhesive capsulitis. Although these capsular changes and joint limitations in patients with hemiplegic shoulder pain may theoretically be related to idiopathic adhesive capsulitis, secondary causes including spasticity, contracture, fibrosis due to lack of movement, rotator cuff lesions, and glenohumeral subluxation have also been emphasized as a cause of the capsular restriction. Although there have been a limited number of studies, ultrasound, which has been reported as a sensitive and specific method in the diagnosis of true (idiopathic) adhesive capsulitis, has not yielded similar results to arthrography and MRI in demonstrating fibrotic and adhesive changes in the glenohumeral capsule in stroke patients with hemiplegic shoulder pain and stiffness. Because ultrasonographic examinations are mostly focused on rotator cuff tendons, bicipital tendon, and subacromial bursa, lack of detailed examination in terms of adhesive capsulitis may be one of the underlying reasons for this inconsistency. In this context, this study aims to investigate ultrasonographic structural changes that may be associated with adhesive capsulitis in subacute stroke patients with painful and stiff hemiplegic side shoulder.