Impact of transdermal buprenorphine patch combined with celecoxib on improving shoulder pain and function of patients with primary adhesive shoulder capsulitis.

Background: One of the main purposes of clinical treatment for adhesive shoulder capsulitis is pain relief. However, patients often fail to achieve a satisfactory therapeutic response. This study aims to evaluate the impact of a combination therapy involving buprenorphine transdermal patch and celecoxib capsules on improving shoulder pain and function of patients with primary adhesive shoulder capsulitis (ASC).

Methods: This retrospective observational study consecutively enrolled patients with primary ASC from our hospital Outpatient Department between April 2018 and June 2020. The primary outcome was pain evaluated using the visual analog scale (VAS) score. Secondary outcomes included functional improvement evaluated using the Constant-Murley Shoulder (CMS) score, as well as satisfaction and adverse reactions.

Results: A total of 198 patients were enrolled and categorized into the celecoxib capsule group (n = 72), buprenorphine transdermal patch group (n = 65), and buprenorphine transdermal patch + celecoxib capsule group (n = 61). Patients treated with buprenorphine transdermal patch + celecoxib capsule have the lowest VAS scores and highest CMS scores at 1, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after treatment (all P < 0.001). Furthermore, there were no significant differences in adverse reactions (P = 0.296) among the three groups. The satisfaction of patient with percutaneous buprenorphine transdermal patch + celecoxib capsule was significantly higher than patients with celecoxib capsules or percutaneous buprenorphine transdermal patch (both P < 0.001).

Conclusion: The combination of buprenorphine transdermal patch with celecoxib capsule may result in good analgesic efficacy and functional improvement in patients with primary ASC.

Trial registration: Not applicable.