The pathology of frozen shoulder. A Dupuytren-like disease
One article on PainSci cites Bunker 1995: Complete Guide to Frozen Shoulder
PainSci notes on Bunker 1995:
This paper reports on the only direct empirical investigation of contracture rather than adhesion in frozen shoulder that I’m aware of.
original abstract †Abstracts here may not perfectly match originals, for a variety of technical and practical reasons. Some abstacts are truncated for my purposes here, if they are particularly long-winded and unhelpful. I occasionally add clarifying notes. And I make some minor corrections.
Of 935 consecutive patients referred with shoulder pain, 50 fitted the criteria for primary frozen shoulder. Twelve patients who failed to improve after conservative treatment and manipulation had excision of the coracohumeral ligament and the rotator interval of the capsule. The specimens were examined histologically, using special stains for collagen. Immunocytochemistry was performed with monoclonal antibodies against leucocyte common antigen (LCA, CD45) and a macrophage/synovial antigen (PGMI, CD68) to assess the inflammatory component, and vimentin and smooth-muscle actin to evaluate fibroblasts and myofibroblasts. Our histological and immunocytochemical findings show that the pathological process is active fibroblastic proliferation, accompanied by some transformation to a smooth muscle phenotype (myofibroblasts). The fibroblasts lay down collagen which appears as a thick nodular band or fleshy mass. These appearances are very similar to those in Dupuytren's disease of the hand, with no inflammation and no synovial involvement. The contracture acts as a check-rein against external rotation, causing loss of both active and passive movement.
related content
- “Recalcitrant chronic adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder. Role of contracture of the coracohumeral ligament and rotator interval in pathogenesis and treatment,” Ozaki et al, Journal of Bone & Joint Surgery, 1989.
- “The frozen shoulder: myths and realities,” Nagy et al, Open Orthop J, 2013.
This page is part of the PainScience BIBLIOGRAPHY, which contains plain language summaries of thousands of scientific papers & others sources. It’s like a highly specialized blog. A few highlights:
- Inciting events associated with lumbar disc herniation. Suri 2010 Spine J.
- Prediction of an extruded fragment in lumbar disc patients from clinical presentations. Pople 1994 Spine (Phila Pa 1976).
- Characteristics of patients with low back and leg pain seeking treatment in primary care: baseline results from the ATLAS cohort study. Konstantinou 2015 BMC Musculoskelet Disord.
- Effectiveness and cost-effectiveness of universal school-based mindfulness training compared with normal school provision in reducing risk of mental health problems and promoting well-being in adolescence: the MYRIAD cluster randomised controlled trial. Kuyken 2022 Evid Based Ment Health.
- Is there a relationship between throbbing pain and arterial pulsations? Mirza 2012 J Neurosci.