title: Impact of shoulder complaints after neck dissection on shoulder disability and quality of life.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore relationships between shoulder complaints after neck dissection, shoulder disability, and quality of life. To find clinical predictors for mid- to long-term shoulder disability.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective.
  
  
  METHODS
  Shoulder pain, shoulder mobility, and shoulder droop, as well as scores on shoulder disability questionnaire and RAND-36 (quality of life), were measured at baseline, discharge (T1), and 4 months postoperatively (T2) on 139 patients admitted for neck dissection to major head and neck centers in the Netherlands.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Shoulder mobility was significantly decreased at T1 and did not improve. Significant relationships between shoulder function, shoulder disability score, and RAND-36 domains were found. Two clusters of clinical symptoms could be identified as independent predictors for shoulder disability.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Objective deterioration in shoulder function after neck dissection is associated with perceived shoulder disability and related to physical functioning and bodily pain. Predictors for shoulder disability can be found.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiotherapy, The Netherlands Cancer Institute - Antoni van Leeuwenhoek Hospital, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. m.stuiver@nki.nl
authors.forename: Martijn M
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Stuiver
authors.forename: Cornelis P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: van Wilgen
authors.forename: Erlijn M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: de Boer
authors.forename: Cees J T
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: de Goede
authors.forename: Muriel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koolstra
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: van Opzeeland
authors.forename: Piet
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Venema
authors.forename: Margriet W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Sterken
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vincent
authors.forename: Pieter U
authors.initials: PU
authors.lastname: Dijkstra
mesh_terms: D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D037981:Neck Dissection; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000503:physiopathology; D020069:Shoulder Pain / Q000209:etiology