Evidence map›Paper›PMID 25888161›Full record

ArticleBMC musculoskeletal disorders2015

Examining outcome of early physician specialist assessment in injured workers with shoulder complaints.

Helen Razmjou, Dragana Boljanovic, Sandra Lincoln, Chris Geddes, Iona Macritchie, Caterina Virdo-Cristello, Robin R Richards

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in BMC musculoskeletal disorders, 2015. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Helen RazmjouHolland Orthopedic & Arthritic Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, 43 Wellesley Street East, Toronto, ON, M1Y 1H1, Canada. helen.razmjou@sunnybrook.ca.
Dragana BoljanovicHolland Orthopedic & Arthritic Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, 43 Wellesley Street East, Toronto, ON, M1Y 1H1, Canada. Dragana.Boljanovic@sunnybrook.ca.
Sandra LincolnHolland Orthopedic & Arthritic Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, 43 Wellesley Street East, Toronto, ON, M1Y 1H1, Canada. Sandra.lincoln@sunnybrook.ca.
Chris GeddesHolland Orthopedic & Arthritic Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, 43 Wellesley Street East, Toronto, ON, M1Y 1H1, Canada. crgeddes@gmail.com.
Iona MacritchieHolland Orthopedic & Arthritic Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, 43 Wellesley Street East, Toronto, ON, M1Y 1H1, Canada. Iona.Macritchie@sunnybrook.ca.
Caterina Virdo-CristelloHolland Orthopedic & Arthritic Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, 43 Wellesley Street East, Toronto, ON, M1Y 1H1, Canada. Caterina.Virdo-cristello@sunnybrook.ca.
Robin R RichardsHolland Orthopedic & Arthritic Centre, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, 43 Wellesley Street East, Toronto, ON, M1Y 1H1, Canada. Robin.Richards@sunnybrook.ca.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThere is minimal research on demographics, type of injury and diagnosis of injured workers with shoulder problems. The purposes of this study were: 1) to document the demographics of patients with shoulder complaints referred to an Early Shoulder Physician Assessment (ESPA) Program and to describe the recommended management, and 2) to examine the relationship between patient characteristics and their subjective complaints of pain and functional difficulty.

methodsThis study involved a retrospective review of electronic files of injured workers mostly seen within the first 16 weeks of injury or recurrence. Measures of functional difficulty and pain were the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (QuickDASH) and Numeric Pain Scale (NPS).

resultsFiles of 550 consecutive patients, 260 females (47%), 290 men (53%) were examined. The average age was 49 (SD = 11, range 22-77), with 28 (5%) patients being 65 years of age or older. Patients who were not working were the most disabled group based on Quick DASH (F = 49.93, p < 0.0001) and NPS (F = 10.24, p = 0.002). Patients who were working full time performing regular duties were the least disabled according to both measures, the QuickDASH (F = 10.24, p = 0.002) and NPS (F = 7.57, p = 0.006). Patients waiting more than 16 weeks were slightly older (53 years of age vs. 49, p = 0.045) than those who met the criteria for early assessment with similar levels of pain and functional difficulty. Biceps pathology had the highest prevalence (37%). Full thickness tear had a prevalence of 14%. Instability, labral lesions and osteoarthritis of glenohumeral joint were uncommon conditions (3, 2 and 1% respectively). Fifty-five patients (10%) were surgical candidates and had higher scores on QuickDASH (F = 7.16, p = 0.008) and NPS (F = 4.24, p = 0.04) compared to those who did not require surgery.

conclusionsThis study provides information on characteristics and prevalence of important variables in injured workers with shoulder problems and highlights the impact of these characteristics on pain and disability.

Indexed as

Occupational HealthReferral and ConsultationSpecializationAdultAgedDisability EvaluationEarly DiagnosisElectronic Health RecordsFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedMusculoskeletal DiseasesOccupational InjuriesOntarioPain Measurement

Identifiers

PMID25888161
PMCPMC4339298

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.