Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38022354›Full record

ArticleCureus2023

Suprascapular Nerve Pulsed Radiofrequency as an Effective Pain Relief Strategy in Supraspinatus Muscle Tendon Tears.

Miguel De Castro Correia, Luís Oliveira, Eugénio Moita Gonçalves, Rodrigo Correia, Inês Andrade, Andre Borges, Tiago Rodrigues Lopes, José Luís Carvalho

Open access · diamondAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cureus, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
0.3field-weighted citation impact, top 37% of its field
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

1 citing paper in PubMed, 1 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
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

8 authors at 1 institution in 1 country.

Miguel De Castro CorreiaPhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation, North Rehabilitation Center, Vila Nova de Gaia, PRT.
Luís OliveiraPhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation, North Rehabilitation Center, Vila Nova de Gaia, PRT.
Eugénio Moita GonçalvesPhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Vila Nova de Gaia/Espinho Hospital Centre, Vila Nova de Gaia, PRT.
Rodrigo CorreiaPhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation, North Rehabilitation Center, Vila Nova de Gaia, PRT.
Inês AndradePhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Alcoitão Rehabilitation Medicine Center, Lisbon, PRT.
Andre BorgesPhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Trás-os-Montes E Alto Douro Hospital Center, Vila Real, PRT.
Tiago Rodrigues LopesPhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation, Espregueira-Mendes Sports Center, Porto, PRT.
José Luís CarvalhoPhysical Medicine and Rehabilitation, North Rehabilitation Center, Vila Nova de Gaia, PRT.
Unidade Local de Saúde de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro · PT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionThe supraspinatus muscle tendon is the most frequently rotator cuff muscle torn. Reliable shoulder pain relief strategies are needed for patients with severe pain, refractory to conservative management, and without surgical indication. MATERIALS AND

methodsWe conducted a retrospective analysis in a Portuguese reference Rehabilitation Centre during the 1st of January 2020 and the 30th of June 2021, including all patients with partial or complete supraspinatus tendon tear, older than 50 years, who presented with severe pain and who were submitted to suprascapular nerve pulsed radiofrequency.

resultsWe included 32 patients in our retrospective analysis, mainly female (53%) with a mean age of 66.50 years old. Most of the patients reported right shoulder pain (21 patients, 66%). The mean baseline pain, reported on the numeric rating scale, was 8.00 ± 0.88. Compared to baseline, mean pain reduced 4.00 ± 3.19 at three months (p<0.001), 3.59 ± 3.13 at six months (p<0.001) and 2.94 ± 2.78 at 12 months (p<0.001). From the 3rd to the 12th month there was an increase of 1.06 ± 2.77 in mean pain (p=0.038). There was no difference (p>0.05) in average pain at 0, 3, 6, or 12 months between patients who were simultaneously submitted to an intra-articular shoulder injection. DISCUSSION: Our analysis revealed 36% average shoulder pain reduction for, at least, 12 months following suprascapular nerve pulsed radiofrequency, with a peak pain reduction of 50% at three months. Slow fading of pain reduction in the following nine months was seen, however, compared to baseline, pain reduction was always statistically significant. Cortico-anaesthetic intra-articular shoulder injections seem not to add benefit in shoulder pain reduction when performed simultaneously with suprascapular nerve pulsed radiofrequency.

conclusionSuprascapular nerve pulsed radiofrequency seems to be an effective strategy for shoulder pain reduction, in patients with severe pain, refractory to other management modalities. Nonetheless, larger prospective studies, analyzing shoulder functionality and quality of life lost scores, besides pain reduction, should be pursued.

Indexed as

painrotator cuff tearshoulder rehabilitationsuprascapular nerve pulsed radiofrequencysupraspinatus tear

Identifiers

PMID38022354
PMCPMC10640680
OpenAlexW4387602410

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.