Stroke Hemiplegic Shoulder Pain: Ultrasound Findings and VAS (Cross-Sectional)

The Relationship Between Shoulder Ultrasound Findings and Pain Levels in Acute/Subacute Stroke Patients: A Cross-Sectional Study

Status

Recruiting

Phases

Unknown

Study type

Observational

Source

ClinicalTrials.gov

Registry ID

NCT07426965

Enrollment

100

Registered

2026-02-23

Start date

2026-02-17

Completion date

2026-09-01

Last updated

2026-02-23

For informational purposes only — not medical advice. Sourced from public registries and may not reflect the latest updates. Terms

Conditions

Hemiplegic Shoulder Pain

Keywords

Visual Analog Scale, Hemiplegic Shoulder Pain, Ultrasound

Brief summary

Hemiplegic shoulder pain is a frequent complication after stroke and may be associated with structural abnormalities detectable by musculoskeletal ultrasound. This prospective cross-sectional observational study aims to evaluate the relationship between shoulder ultrasound abnormality score and pain severity in patients with post-stroke hemiplegic shoulder pain. Pain severity will be assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) for rest, movement, and night pain. Shoulder ultrasound will be performed using a standardized scoring system to quantify structural abnormalities. The primary objective is to investigate whether ultrasound abnormality burden is associated with pain severity in different clinical conditions (rest, exercise, and night).

Detailed description

Hemiplegic shoulder pain is a common complication after stroke and may negatively affect rehabilitation outcomes. Structural abnormalities such as rotator cuff pathology, biceps tendon disorders, bursitis, adhesive capsulitis, and glenohumeral subluxation can be evaluated using musculoskeletal ultrasound. This prospective cross-sectional observational study aims to investigate the relationship between shoulder ultrasound abnormality score and pain severity in patients with post-stroke hemiplegic shoulder pain. Adult stroke patients with hemiplegic shoulder pain will be evaluated at admission. Pain severity will be assessed using the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) separately for rest, movement, and night pain. Shoulder ultrasound will be performed using a standardized protocol, and a total ultrasound abnormality score will be calculated. The primary objective is to evaluate the association between ultrasound abnormality score and pain severity. Secondary analyses will assess the relationship between specific ultrasound findings and pain severity.

Interventions

None listed

Study design

Observational model

CASE_ONLY

Time perspective

PROSPECTIVE

Eligibility

Sex/Gender

ALL

Age

18 Years to 75 Years

Healthy volunteers

Inclusion criteria

1. Being between 18-75 years of age 2. Patients with a history of stroke within the last 2 weeks to 6 months 3. Patients with shoulder pain on the hemiplegic side 4. Mini-mental status test score \>25

Exclusion criteria

1. Motor aphasic patient group 2. Patients with a history of previous surgery on the hemiplegic shoulder for any reason 3. Those with other diseases that can explain the shoulder pain 4. Those with neurodegenerative diseases that cause impairment in cognitive functions, such as dementia

Design outcomes

Primary

Measure	Time frame	Description
Association between shoulder ultrasound abnormality score and pain severity	At admission (single assessment on the same day as ultrasound)	Relationship between total shoulder ultrasound abnormality score and Visual Analog Scale (VAS) pain scores (rest, movement, and night pain) assessed at admission.

Countries

Turkey (Türkiye)

Outcome results