SUPRASCAPULAR NEUROPATHY - RESULTS OF NONOPERATIVE TREATMENT

We retrospectively reviewed the results of non-operative treatment of suprascapular neuropathy in fifteen patients seen between November 198 3 and February 1991, The clinical diagnosis was confirmed with electro diagnostic studies, The treatment consisted of a program of physical t herapy to improve the range of motion of the shoulder and to strengthe n the surrounding muscles, The average duration of follow-up was three years and eleven months (range, one year to eight years and ten month s), The latest evaluation included electrodiagnostic studies of the af fected extremity and dynamic isokinetic testing of both upper extremit ies, The result was excellent for five patients and good for seven, Th e three remaining patients had operative treatment because of persiste nt symptoms; one of these patients had an excellent result, one had a good result, and one had a poor result. The results suggest that, in t he absence of a well defined lesion producing mechanical compression o f the suprascapular nerve, suprascapular neuropathy should be treated non-operatively.