Does the intervention for adhesive capsulitis in patients with diabetes differ from that for patients without diabetes?: A systematic review.

Background: Adhesive capsulitis (AC) is often accompanied by pain and restriction in range of movement, which long lasting symptoms often have negative impact on patients' work and lives. Since diabetes mellitus (DM) is an independent risk factor for developing AC, and AC with DM have more limitations of joint motion than general people.

Aims: The aim of the present study is to evaluate the difference of clinical efficacy between diabetes and non-diabetes, and to explore whether AC with diabetes need special intervention compared to non-diabetes.

Methods: Pubmed NCBI and Embase were searched for studies published in the last 30 years. We conducted a literature search for terms regarding AC and DM on Pubmed NCBI and Embase.

Results: A total of 9 studies eligible for inclusion. The affected shoulders in these studies ranged from 26 to 135, 460 shoulders (551 participants) in total, including 166 shoulders in diabetic group and 394 shoulders in non-diabetic/idiopathic group. Interventions included shock wave therapy, hydrodilatation, arthroscopic capsular release, manipulation under cervical nerve root block. Evaluation indicators included pain, certain shoulder questionnaires, range of motion. Positive clinical efficacy were emerged after interventions between the 2 groups. The studies that better improvement of pain in non-diabetic/idiopathic group were 2 of 6, that of certain shoulder questionnaires were 4 of 8, that of range of motion were 3 of 6.

Conclusions: Whether AC combined with DM or not, the current treatment could achieve positive clinical effectiveness and there is some statistical evidence show that the curative effect of AC combined with DM is worse than non-diabetic. In other words, the available evidence suggests that patients with DM might require additional rehabilitation measures with routine glycemic control.