title: Contrast Dispersion Pattern and Efficacy of Corticosteroid at the Glenohumeral Joint in Adhesive Capsulitis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Corticosteroid injection has a wide range of success in adhesive capsulitis but the reason for this has not yet been explained. We hypothesized that this difference might be due to the distribution of the corticosteroids injected into the joint cavity because particulate steroid deposits in the capsule and will not be moved over time by shoulder motion.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study is to determine whether the therapeutic efficacy of particulate corticosteroid injection into the glenohumeral joint differs according to the dispersion pattern.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective evaluation.
  
  
  METHODS
  Outpatient clinics at a tertiary university hospital.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-two patients diagnosed as having adhesive capsulitis received a corticosteroid injection at the glenohumeral joint. The posterior capsule and the subscapular bursa were selected as dispersion sites and the dispersion of contrast dye was expressed as a ratio (%). Two weeks and 3 months after the injection clinical improvement ("not improved," "slightly improved," "much improved"), numeric rating scale (NRS), and passive range of motions (PROM) were evaluated. The dispersion of the contrast dye was compared according to the clinical improvements by an analysis of variance test. Pearson correlation test was done to find the relationship between PROM and the dispersion and between change of NRS and the dispersion.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The distribution in the subscapular area was 30.0% in the "much improved" group, 22.0% in the "slightly improved" group, and 37.1% in the "no improvement" group which was not significantly different (P = 0.179). Correlations between changes of NRS and the dye distribution were not statistically significant (P = 0.429 at 2 weeks and P = 0.629 at 3 months). The change of passive external rotation 3 months after the injection was significantly correlated with the dye distribution (P = 0.035).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Because of diverse pathologic findings in adhesive capsulitis, further studies will be needed to address the effect of the dye distribution on the pain improvement according to pathologic findings revealed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  External rotation of the shoulder in adhesive capsulitis has greater improvement as the corticosteroid solutions injected into the glenohumeral joint are increasingly dispersed to the subscapularis area. However, this does not affect the pain improvement after the injection.
authors.affiliation: Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Jun
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Samsung Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Yu Seong
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Choi
mesh_terms: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000493:pharmacokinetics* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D018771:Arthralgia / Q000188:drug therapy*; D002062:Bursitis / Q000188:drug therapy*; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000493:pharmacokinetics; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007270:Injections, Intra-Articular; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012785:Shoulder Joint / Q000187:drug effects*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D003287:Contrast Media