title: Shoulder Dysfunction After Radiotherapy in Surgically and Nonsurgically Treated Necks: A Prospective Study.
abstract: Our goal was to evaluate the shoulder dysfunction after radiotherapy in surgically and nonsurgically treated necks.A prospective pair matched design was performed. A total of 96 patients from 3 groups were enrolled in the study. The patients were asked to complete the shoulder domain section of the University of Washington Quality of Life questionnaire on 2 occasions: preoperatively and 12 months postoperatively.None of the patients had a shoulder impairment before the operation. At the follow-up session, 4 patients who had received radiotherapy only reported mild shoulder dysfunction, the mean score was 96.3, the difference was significant compared with the preoperative score (P = 0.046). For patients who had received neck dissection, 7 patients reported that the impaired shoulder function caused them to change their work and 14 patients reported that their shoulder function was affected a little; the mean score was 71.6. For patients who had received both neck dissection and postoperative radiotherapy, 9 patients reported that they had changed their work due to shoulder dysfunction and 16 patients reported mild shoulder impairment; the mean score was 65.3 and the difference was not significant (P = 0.304).Radiotherapy does not increase shoulder dysfunction in surgically treated necks, but it could induce shoulder impairment in nonsurgically treated necks.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Plastic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University, Shenyang, P.R. China and the Department of Head Neck, the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Henan, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.forename: Shu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Di
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qi-Gen
authors.initials: QG
authors.lastname: Fang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004307:Dose-Response Relationship, Radiation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D007592:Joint Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D037981:Neck Dissection / Q000379:methods*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011788:Quality of Life; D011832:Radiation Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000523:psychology; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000528:radiation effects*; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000528:radiation effects*; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires