Trial reportEuropean journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine2022
Randomized controlled trial of suprascapular nerve blocks for subacute adhesive capsulitis.
Trial report in European journal of physical and rehabilitation medicine, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.
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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.
The trial behind it
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Who cites it
4 citing papers in PubMed, 13 citations in OpenAlex.
- Article
- Clinical Practice Guidelines for Diagnosis and Non-Surgical Treatment of Primary Frozen Shoulder.Annals of rehabilitation medicine · 2025Article
- Drug Repurposing for Frozen Shoulder; a Bioinformatics Meta-Analysis.The archives of bone and joint surgery · 2025Article
- Continuous suprascapular nerve blockade to potentiate intensive rehabilitation for refractory adhesive shoulder capsulitis: a cohort study.International orthopaedics · 2024Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
5 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundShoulder pain and loss of function remain a therapeutic challenge in adhesive capsulitis. Suprascapular nerve blocks, a common treatment in adhesive capsulitis, are considered a safe and effective method for the resolution of pain and restoration of shoulder range of motion (ROM). To our knowledge, no data are available on the use of suprascapular nerve blocks in adhesive capsulitis in the subacute phase.
aimThe aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of ultrasound-guided suprascapular nerve blocks versus saline injections for treating adhesive capsulitis in the subacute phase.
designRandomized double-blinded controlled trial; level of evidence 2.
settingOut-patient consultation of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine in a general hospital. POPULATION: Thirty-five patients with subacute adhesive capsulitis.
methodsPatients were randomly allocated to receive either 3 successive (1-week interval) ultrasound-guided suprascapular nerve blocks with ropivacaine 5 mL 2 mg/mL (intervention group) or ultrasound-guided injections of 5 mL sterile saline solution (NaCl 0.9%) (control group), at the floor of the suprascapular fossa. Primary outcome was shoulder function assessed by the Constant-Murley Score. Secondary outcomes were shoulder ROM and shoulder pain intensity. Assessments were performed before each injection and 4 weeks after the last injection.
resultsA significant increase of Constant-Murley Score (P<0.001), increase of shoulder ROM (all directions: P<0.011) and decrease of pain (P<0.001), were observed over time in both study groups. However, no significant differences were observed between the intervention and the control group.
conclusionsThree successive suprascapular nerve blocks did not provide a better outcome than saline injections on shoulder function, ROM, and pain in subacute adhesive capsulitis. These negative findings warrant some considerations on the natural history of adhesive capsulitis, as well as timing, type, and placebo effects of injections. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: The current place of suprascapular nerve blocks in the treatment strategy of adhesive capsulitis needs to be rediscussed.
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