None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
Shoulder pain is common in the community, especially in overhead sports. Around every shoulder joint are ligaments which hold the socket of the shoulder in place. These ligaments can become particularly tight in the back of the shoulder. This is known as a tight posterior capsule and is a cause of shoulder pain. Repetitive movements of the shoulder can lead to a tight posterior capsule. Patients with a tight posterior capsule are at risk of developing secondary shoulder pathology, such as instability of the joint. Better understanding of problems like a tight posterior capsule whilst the shoulder is in motion is important to improve early diagnosis, help prevent pathology developing and for treatment. A 4D CT scanner is a machine which has been available at Monash Medical Centre for a number of years and is used in the standard care of patients. It creates a 3D reconstruction of the shoulder while a joint is moving. This allows the relevant structures to be shown moving in relationship to one another in real time. This is useful in determining the underlying pathology affecting the shoulder joint. The project plans to study the relationship of a tight posterior capsule and shoulder joint movement. It was thought that the 4D CT scan would be the most effective tool to measure this. It is hoped that the results of these 4D CT scans will provide greater information about shoulder joint pathology and allow more effective early intervention in the future, especially in the management of a tight posterior capsule and secondary shoulder problems.
Interventions
The study involves scanning with a 4D CT scanner volunteers and patients with tight posterior capsules to assess the movement of the shoulder joint while being stressed. The intervention group will require an examination, a demographics questionnaire and scan.
The examination will involve the participant being examined by the chief investigator and will involve a few different measurements and tests to assess shoulder function. These measurements will involve the participant moving their arm
The study involves scanning with a 4D CT scanner volunteers and patients with tight posterior capsules to assess the movement of the shoulder joint while being stressed. The intervention group will require an examination, a demographics questionnaire and scan. The examination will involve the participant being examined by the chief investigator and will involve a few different measurements and tests to assess shoulder function. These measurements will involve the participant moving their arm to demonstrate range of motion and a few clinical tests to determine the presence of pathology. This examination should take approximately 5-10 minutes to complete. The examination will be completed on a day convenient for the participant before the 4D CT scan. The 4D CT scan involves exposure to a very small amount of radiation. As part of everyday living, everyone is exposed to naturally occurring background radiation. The dose of radiation you will receive from the CT scan is comparable to that received from many diagnostic x-ray and nuclear medicine procedures. At this dose level, no harmful effects of radiation have been demonstrated, as any effect is too small to measure, and the risk is believed to be low. The scan should take no longer than 7 seconds and the dose has been determined to be ~10mSv. Only one scan of the affected/ volunteered shoulder is required per participant. During the scan, the participant's shoulder will be required to complete a specific movement which will show how the shoulder moves. The movement will involve placing the patients arm in abduction and internally rotating the arm until maximum range of motion has been achieved or the patient is unable to proceed any further without distress. Protective shields may be worn and the protocol of the Department of Radiology where the scans will be conducted will be adhered to.
Sponsors
Associate Professor Simon Bell
Study design
Allocation
Non-randomised trial
Intervention model
Single group
Primary purpose
Diagnosis
Masking
Open (masking not used)
Eligibility
Sex/Gender
All
Age
16 Years to 70 Years
Healthy volunteers
Yes
Inclusion criteria
There are two study groups involved in this project; Patients include in the participant group will be determined to have tight posterior capsules as determined by the senior chief investigator. The chief investigator will examine each participant manually. There are also a group of volunteer that will have heavy shoulders with no shoulder problems. A demographics questionnaire and an examination by the chief investigator will be conducted on these volunteers to ensure that this group is eligible for the study.
Exclusion criteria
Language difficulties that do not allow consent to be completed, arthritic changes on X-ray, pregnant women, those who are unable to perform the required movement for the scanner, reparative surgery to capsule for rotator cuffs
Outcome results
None listed