title: Addition of intra-articular hyaluronate injection to physical therapy program produces no extra benefits in patients with adhesive capsulitis of the shoulder: a randomized controlled trial.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the efficacy of intra-articular hyaluronic acid (HA) injections plus physical therapy (PT) with that of PT alone for the treatment of adhesive capsulitis (AC) of the shoulder.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective, randomized controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Rehabilitation and orthopedics department of a private teaching hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients (N=70) with AC of the shoulder were randomly placed into either of the following treatment groups: group 1, HA injections with PT (HAPT group); or group 2, PT alone (PT group).
  
  
  METHODS
  The patients in group 1 received intra-articular glenohumeral joint injections of HA, 20mg, once per week for 3 consecutive weeks and also participated in a PT program for 3 months. The patients in group 2 received PT alone.
  
  
  METHODS
  Active and passive range of motion (ROM) of the affected shoulder, pain, disability, and quality of life.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Both groups experienced improvements in terms of pain, disability, and quality of life after the treatments; furthermore, the active and passive ROM improved linearly with increasing treatment duration. When the groups were compared, no significant group effect was found for any of the outcome measurements.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Intra-articular HA injections did not produce added benefits for patients with AC of the shoulder who were already receiving PT. Thus, the use of intra-articular HA injections for patients with AC of the shoulder should be carefully assessed to reduce unnecessary medical expenditures.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Medicine, Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
authors.forename: Lin-Fen
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Hsieh
authors.forename: Wei-Chun
authors.initials: WC
authors.lastname: Hsu
authors.forename: Yi-Jia
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Hsiao-Lan
authors.initials: HL
authors.lastname: Chang
authors.forename: Chiao-Chien
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Vincent
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Huang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002062:Bursitis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004334:Drug Administration Schedule; D005081:Exercise Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D006820:Hyaluronic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D010147:Pain Measurement / Q000187:drug effects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology*; D012785:Shoulder Joint; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D006820:Hyaluronic Acid