title: Circulating substance P levels and shoulder joint contracture after arthroscopic repair of the rotator cuff.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the plasma levels of substance P (SP) in patients with postoperative stiffness after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair.
  
  
  METHODS
  Plasma samples were obtained at 15 months from surgery from two groups of patients who underwent arthroscopic repair of a rotator cuff tear. In group 1, 30 subjects (14 men, 16 women; mean age 64.6 years, range 47 to 78) with shoulder stiffness 15 months after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair were recruited. In group 2, 30 patients (11 men, 19 women; mean age 57.8 years, range 45 to 77) were evaluated 15 months after successful arthroscopic rotator cuff repair. Immunoassays were performed with commercially available assay kits to measure the plasma levels of SP.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Plasma levels of SP in patients with postoperative stiffness were significantly greater than those in the control group (mean 81.06 (SD 27.76) versus 23.49 (5.64), p<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The plasma concentrations of substance P in patients with shoulder stiffness after arthroscopic rotator cuff repair are higher compared with plasma levels of SP in patients with a good postoperative outcome. The neuronal upregulation of SP shown in the plasma of patients with postoperative shoulder stiffness may underlie not only the symptoms but also its development of adhesive capsulitis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Orthopaedic and Trauma Surgery, Campus Biomedico University, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Franceschi
authors.forename: U G
authors.initials: UG
authors.lastname: Longo
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ruzzini
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morini
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Battistoni
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dicuonzo
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maffulli
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Denaro
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001182:Arthroscopy / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003286:Contracture / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000097:blood* / Q000209:etiology; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D017006:Rotator Cuff / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D000070636:Rotator Cuff Injuries; D013373:Substance P / Q000097:blood*; D015854:Up-Regulation / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D013373:Substance P