title: The 11th nerve syndrome in functional neck dissection.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Assessment of the incidence of shoulder joint disability and evaluation of the role of a personal postoperative physical rehabilitative protocol therapy in reducing pain and shoulder dysfunction and improving the quality of life (QOL) of patients who have undergone functional neck dissection (FND) associated with total laryngectomy. SETTING, DESIGN, AND OUTCOME MEASURES: Sixty laryngectomees who had undergone FND were divided into two groups (A and B). Group A received physical therapy after surgery. Clinical evaluation was done according to the Constant modified questionnaire, including physical assessment of passive and active shoulder movement and information regarding patients' QOL. Bilateral quantitative electromyography (Q-EMG) of scapulohumeral muscles was carried out on all patients. Results were evaluated by Student t test and multivariate analysis to find out which variables were important in predicting pain and return to work.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Six months after surgery, the patients in group A had better results concerning passive forward elevation (P = 0), shoulder active motility (P = 0), pain (P <.001), working and recreational activity (P = 0), and score of Constant (P = 0) compared with the patients in group B. From a multivariate analysis of clinical parameters important in predicting pain, significant predictors (P <.01) were shown to be global shoulder active motility, active forward elevation, abduction, active external rotation, internal rotation hand to back, working and recreational activity, and score of Constant. Regarding return to work, a significant predictor (P <.01) was the score of Constant. Electromyography work-up showed deterioration in early postoperative periods and improvements in late postoperative periods.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The post-surgical variable clinical picture of shoulder disability is related not only to the accessory nerve injury, but also to the secondary glenohumeral stiffness resulting from the scapulohumeral girdle muscles weakness and postoperative forced immobility. Physical therapy aimed to early recover passive motion and to avoid the occurrence of joint fibrosis has been shown to have a real contributory role in decreasing shoulder complaints and improving the patients' QOL.
authors.affiliation: Department of Otorhinolaryngology, University Federico II, Naples, Italy. grazia.salerno@tin.it
authors.forename: Grazia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Salerno
authors.forename: Matteo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cavaliere
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Foglia
authors.forename: Dora Parente
authors.initials: DP
authors.lastname: Pellicoro
authors.forename: Giampiero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mottola
authors.forename: Massimiliano
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nardone
authors.forename: Vieri
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Galli
mesh_terms: D020436:Accessory Nerve Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D007825:Laryngectomy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D037981:Neck Dissection / Q000009:adverse effects*; D011788:Quality of Life; D012785:Shoulder Joint; D013577:Syndrome