Evaluation of supraspinatus muscle changes in the shoulder joint of stroke patients with hemiplegic and shoulder subluxation using ultrasonography: comparison between affected and unaffected sides.
Shan Liu, Changhua Cao, Hualong Xie and 8 others
PMID 35035079WHAT IT FOUND
Stroke patients with shoulder subluxation had thinner supraspinatus muscles on the affected side at 0°, 30°, and 60° shoulder abduction.
Those without subluxation showed no side-to-side difference. Ultrasound may help assess the shoulder, but this study did not test treatment.
Key findings
01In stroke patients with shoulder subluxation, supraspinatus muscle thickness on the affected side was 1.58 cm at 0°, 1.68 cm at 30°, and 1.77 cm at 60°, compared with 1.94 cm, 2.08 cm, and 2.26 cm on the unaffected side.
02In stroke patients without shoulder subluxation, supraspinatus muscle thickness did not differ significantly between affected and unaffected sides at 0°, 30°, or 60°.
03In the shoulder subluxation group, the rate of supraspinatus thickness change from 0° to 60° was 0.18 cm on the affected side and 0.32 cm on the unaffected side.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
Only patients after first stroke within six months who could sit independently and actively abduct the affected shoulder more than 60° for more than 5 seconds were included, so findings may not apply to more impaired shoulders. Shoulder subluxation was classified by a finger breadth gap greater than half a finger, which may not capture all clinically relevant cases. The study measured patients at one time and did not follow them or test treatment effects. All measurements were done by one physiotherapist, and the paper does not report whether assessors were blinded to subluxation status.
Declared interests
This research did not receive a specific grant, and the authors declared no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not read the thinner affected supraspinatus muscle as proof that strengthening it will fix shoulder subluxation. This study measured patients at one time and did not test any treatment.