FROZEN SHOULDER - ARTHROSCOPY AND MANIPULATION UNDER GENERAL-ANESTHESIA AND EARLY PASSIVE MOTION

During a 75-month period, 24 patients with arthroscopically verified f rozen shoulders were treated with manipulation while under general ane sthesia and early passive motion. The minimum follow-up was 12 months, and the average duration from onset of the disease until treatment wa s 8 months. All patients had moderate to severe pain, and the average range of motion was less than 40% of the opposite shoulder. During the follow-up period, 75% of the patients obtained normal or almost full range of motion, and 79% had slight pain or no pain at all. Eighteen ( 75%) patients returned to work 9 weeks (mean) after treatment. There w as no relationship between the end result and the initial pathologic c ondition. We believe that manipulation combined with arthroscopy is an effective way of shortening the course of an apparently self-limiting disease and should be considered when conservative treatment has fail ed.