High Resolution Ultrasound of Scapulae Alatae - a Prospective Case Control Study

Completed

• Conditions: Scapula Alata; Scapular Winging
• Interventions: Diagnostic Test: High resolution ultrasound

• Registration Number: NCT03556449
• Lead Sponsor: Sándor Beniczky

Brief Summary

Scapula alata, caused by disturbance in the scapulothoracic stabilizer muscles due to nerve injury, is a relatively rare but also underreported disease. It can lead to years of invalidity of the affected upper extremity, considerable pain and social and emotional consequences for the patients. Unrecognized and misdiagnosed scapula alata and, consequently, wrong or delayed treatment is a general problem in this patient group. Today the diagnosis is based on the clinical examination and the electrophysiological examination. One of the problems is that the electrophysiological examination in a fair part of the patients is not showing any pathology even though the history of the patient and the clinical evaluation are indicating scapula alata.

This study is a single-blinded, prospective, controlled multicentre study. The aim of the study is to investigate whether ultrasound can be used as a supplement to the electrophysiological examination when diagnosing scapula alata. Ultrasound will be used to visualize possible thickening of the cross-sectional area of nerves and the degree and pattern of muscle involvement in patients with scapula alata. By comparing measurements from scapula alata patients with the measurements from healthy controls, we are able to see if ultrasound can distinguish these two groups from each other. Furthermore, we will examine whether the ultrasound measurements correlate with the electrophysiological findings in patients and, when available, compare the ultrasound measurements of muscle thickness with MRI (magnetic resonance Imaging) findings. The use of ultrasound in scapula alata patients may help determine the presence and severity of a nerve lesion and the subsequent degree of muscle involvement and may therefore serve as a supplement to the clinical diagnosis.

Detailed Description

Not available

Study Timeline

• Study Start: 2018-04-12
• Study First Submitted: 2018-05-24
• Status Verified: 2018-06
• Study First Submitted QC: 2018-06-13
• Study First Posted: 2018-06-14
• Primary Completion: 2019-01-31
• Study Completion: 2019-01-31
• Last Update Submitted: 2021-01-13
• Last Update Posted: 2021-01-14

Recruitment & Eligibility

• Status: COMPLETED
• Sex: All
• Target Recruitment: 80

Inclusion Criteria

• Clinical suspicion of scapula alata

Exclusion Criteria

• Winged scapula due to other cause than nerve damage. eg. myopathy

Healthy subjects

Exclusion Criteria:

• History of Shoulder trauma or shoulder disease
• History of cervical radiculopathy
• History of upper extremity peripheral neuropathy/plexopathy
• Peripheral vascular disease

Study & Design

• Study Type: OBSERVATIONAL
• Study Design: Not specified

Arm && Interventions

Group	Intervention	Description
Healthy subjects	High resolution ultrasound	High resolution ultrasound
Patients	High resolution ultrasound	High resolution ultrasound

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
Thickness of musculus trapezius	10-15 minuttes
Thickness of musculus rhomboideus	10-15 minuttes
Cross sectional area of nervus thoracicus longus	10-15 minuttes
Cross sectional area of nervus dorsalis scapularis	10-15 minuttes
Thickness of musculus serratus anterior	10-15 minuttes
Cross sectional area of nervus accesorius	10-15 minuttes

Trial Locations

Locations (1)

Clinic of Neurophysiology, the department of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital; 🇩🇰 Aarhus, Denmark