Wk4 Shoulder Pain Flashcards
What is the prevalence of shoulder pain?
7-26%
3rd most common MSK problem
Most shoulder complaints arise from intrinsic causes or extrinsic causes?
Intrinsic causes involving articular and periarticular structures
Extrinsic: neurologic disorders or visceral conditions
What is the most common cause of referred pain to the shoulder?
Cervical spine disease
What is the prevalence of symptomatic rotator cuff disorders?
Prevalence increases with age.
2.8% : 30+
15%: 70+
What is the first step in assessing shoulder pain?
To consider intrinsic versus extrinsic causes
If the shoulder pain is not quite related to shoulder and arm movements, which causes should be considered?
Extrinsic causes
For intrinsic causes of the shoulder pain, what is the modality of the pain?
Pain increase with shoulder and arm movement.
For extrinsic shoulder pain, which causes should be ruled in or out?
Neurologic causes
What is usually the extrinsic source of shoulder pain?
Cervical or thoracic processes or abdominal causes such as gallbladder
For intrinsic causes of shoulder pain, what should we consider?
Whether there was any trauma
For intrinsic causes of shoulder pain, if there is history of trauma, which condition should be considered?
Fracture
Dislocation
Rotator cuff tear
Labrum tear
For intrinsic causes of shoulder pain, if there is no history of trauma, what should we consider next?
Determine whether the pain occurs with only active TOM as it stress the muscles, tendons and ligaments.
Which condition should we consider for intrinsic shoulder pain?
Soft tissue disorders
- Rotator cuff tendonitis
- Biceps tendonitis
- Rotator cuff tendinopathy/tear
- Subacromial bursitis
For intrinsic causes of shoulder pain without history of trauma, pain occurs during active and passive motions, which conditions should we consider?
Consider the involvement of glenohumeral joint (OA, frozen shoulder, gout osteonecrosis) or AC joint disease (separation or OA)
osteonecrosis: loss of blood supply to bone tissue —> death of bone cells
In intrinsic shoulder pain, pain occurs in elevation of arm above the head. What does it suggest?
Impingement syndrome
In intrinsic shoulder pain, pain occurs when lifting items with the biceps or with writs supination. What does it suggest?
Biceps tendinitis
In the primary care, which conditions has the highest prevalence regarding intrinsic shoulder pain?
Impingement syndrome/ Rotator cuff tendinitis
Is it common for patient to have more than one diagnosis for intrinsic shoulder pain?
Yes
What is the difference between “tendinopathy” and “tendonitis” ?
Tendinopathy (swelling & pain): degeneration of the collagen protein that form the tendon.
Tendonitis: inflammation of the tendon
With non-operative treatment, would patients with rotator cuff disease improve symptoms?
Yes. Some patients with full-thickness rotator cuff tears can compensate to recover function with non-operative treatment, even though the tear does not heal without surgery.
Would partial rotator cuff tears or full-thickness tearing be asymptomatic ?
Yes. Asymptomatic shoulders of partial rotator cuff tears were present in 20% of the population, and 15% had full-thickness tearing.
What is the progress of larger rotator cuff tears look like?
Larger tears tend to progress with time and eventually become irreparable due to significant tendon retraction/muscle atrophy when tendon tissue quality does not allow repair.
Smaller rotator cuff tear are less likely to propagate.
Rotator cuff tendons experience structural changes over the years due to repetitive contact of the tendons with movements. What is our rule here?
Be sensitive enough to depict changes that are reversible.
Initially the reaction of the tendon to load, friction, and activity results in small changes with disorganized extracellular matrix and subtle inflammatory reaction around the tendon, What would you see on imaging?
Peritendinitis and focal thickness of the tendon. (MR or US)
Progressive histological changes of rotator cuff tendon include:
- mucoid degeneration
- chondral metaplasia
- amyloid deposition
- increase of fibroblastic cell
- neovascularization
What do these changes suggest?
They suggest the presence of degenerative tendinopathy and are the precursors of tendon tears.
When rotator cuff tendon is unable to heal and restore its normal histological structure, what will happen?
It will lead to partial tear with scar formation and it can decrease mechanical properties.
When would surgical treatment for rotator cuff tendon tears be suggested?
When conservation measure fails to treat those tears are smaller than 50%
How can tendon tear be confirmed?
Only by imaging such as MR or US
Drop arm test will be positive in which two situation?
- a complete tear of rotator cuff tendon
- No tear is present, pain due to inflammation of the tendon.
Which rotator cuff tear occur in younger population and is related to traumatic events?
Insertional tear
Which rotator cuff tear are the most frequent one? What is the characteristics?
Partial articular surface tear (aka. PASTA)
PASTA doesn’t heal properly and have the tendency to progress to full-thickness tears.
Which rotator cuff tear is associated with subacromial and coracohumeral arch degenerative changes?
Bursal-side tears
Which type of rotator cuff tear has the tendency to heal and why?
Bursal-side tears because their adequate blood supply.
In rotator cuff tendon tear, how would you define full-thickness tears?
Full-thickness tears are those tears extend from articular side to the bursal side.
In rotator cuff tear, where would you find the most full-thickness tears?
Most tears are found in supraspinatus. Frequency of subscapularis tendon tears rises.
In rotator cuff tendon tear, how does fat atrophy impact prognosis?
If fat atrophy is over 50%, higher recurrence .
Fat atrophy: degeneration of muscle tissue, muscle fibers are replaced by fatty tissue
What is the characteristics of a massive rotator cuff tendon tear?
Involvement of two or more tendons or a retraction greater than 5cm (tendon has moved away from its original place due to injury)
In the condition of a massive rotator cuff tear, there will be a progressive migration of the humeral head. What is the direction of this migration?
Superiorly
What is the most common symptom of rotator cuff disease?
Shoulder and arm pain/weakness during overhead activities.
As there is shoulder/arm pain associated with overhead activities in rotator cuff disease. How is the pain described?
Dull pain becoming sharp during overhead motion.
Is the presence of pain required to diagnose rotator cuff tendon disease?
No. Chronic full-thickness rotator cuff tear may present without pain, yet loss of active motion
In the condition of rotator cuff disease, should we exam neck and elbow?
Yes. The neck and the elbow should also be examined to exclude the possibility that the shoulder pain is referred from either of these regions.
During inspection, what would venous distention indicate?
Venous distention may indicate an extrinsic causes for the shoulder pain.
If atrophy of supraspinatus or infraspinatus is inspected, what’s the next step?
A further work-up for conditions such as:
- rotator cuff tear
- suprascapular nerve entrapment
- neuropathy
The first 20 to 30 degrees of shoulder abduction, is scapulothoracic motion required?
NO
Which degree of painful arc test indicates subacromial or rotator cuff disorder?
Shoulder pain between 60 to 120 degree
What are the pain provocation test for rotator cuff disease?
Cross body adduction
neer
painful arc
passive abduction
Hawkins
Yocum
What would a positive cross body adduction test indicate?
Pain with adduction is a positive test for AC joint involvement
What would a positive neer impingement test indicate?
Pain indicates subacromial impingement/rotator cuff tendinitis disorder