Arthroscopic adhesiolysis in elderly patients with post-traumatic frozen shoulder.

Purpose: The aim of the current study is to investigate the efficacy and risk factors associated with arthroscopic adhesiolysis in treating elderly traumatic frozen shoulder.

Methods: One hundred and two elderly patients with post-traumatic frozen shoulder treated at our Hospital were selected. The patients were randomly divided into a study group and a control group, with 51 cases in each group. The study group was treated with arthroscopic adhesiolysis, and the control group received physical therapy combined with joint manipulation.

Results: The operation time and intraoperative blood loss of the study group were (54.98 ± 5.94) min and (53.28 ± 4.93) ml, respectively. The Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) (0.87 ± 0.12, P = 0.021), Present Pain Intensity (PPI) (0.76 ± 0.07, P = 0.016), and Pain Rating Index (PRI) (5.32 ± 0.32, P < 0.001) scores were lower in the study group than the control group at 3 months post-treatment. Moreover, no significant differences were seen in terms of pain relief, daily living activities, shoulder joint function, and muscle strength between the two groups before the treatment; however, at 3 months post-treatment, the study group demonstrated better outcomes in these dimensions compared to the control group (all P ≤ 0.021), with notably improved shoulder joint mobility (all P < 0.001).

Conclusion: Arthroscopic adhesiolysis exerts beneficial outcomes for elderly patients with post-traumatic frozen shoulder. Age and fat infiltration are identified as risk factors influencing the efficacy of arthroscopic adhesiolysis in this patient population.