The comparative effectiveness of combined hydrodilatation/corticosteroid procedure with two different quantities for adhesive capsulitis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the efficacy of injecting various amounts of fluid into the shoulder joints for capsule distension in patients with adhesive capsulitis.

DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial.

SETTING: Outpatient clinic of a tertiary care centre.

PARTICIPANTS: Eighty-four patients with adhesive capsulitis underwent a baseline (time0), 6 weeks (time1), and 12 weeks (time2) follow-up after hydrodilitation.

INTERVENTION: Group 1 (n  =  42) received 20 ml of lidocaine, steroid, and saline hydrodilatation via posterior glenohumeral recess, while Group 2 (n  =  42) received 10 ml of lidocaine, steroid, and saline hydrodilitation.

MAIN MEASURES: The primary outcome was the visual analogue scale for pain. The secondary outcomes were shoulder pain and disability index (SPADI) and ROM of the shoulder.

RESULTS: There was a significant reduce in VAS scores for pain, SPADI scores, and increased shoulder ROM in both groups over time; however, the group-by-time interactions for any of the outcomes between groups were not significant except VAS pain in motion. Post-hoc pairwise analysis of the marginal effect of time and group showed that the significant difference of VAS in motion is due to time effect: time1 vs time0 (95% CI -4.09 to -2.68), time2 vs time0 (-4.21 to -2.77), and time2 vs time1 (-0.83 to 0.63), without between-group difference: group 1 vs group 2 (-0.38 to 0.59).

CONCLUSION: Our study suggests hydrodilatation achieved an optimal effect at time1 for patients with adhesive capsulitis in both groups, and adding more saline offers additional benefits in flexion and external roatation until time2.