Rehabilitative ultrasound imaging (rusi) in the physical evaluation of shoulder pain patients.

The main aim of the project is to study the importance of acromiohumeral distance (AHD) and coracohumeral distance (CHD) in patients with chronic shoulder pain, and establish a comparison with people free of chronic shoulder pain. Shoulder impingement syndrome (SIS) is frequently related to a decrease of acromio-humeral distance (AHD), known like one of the extrinsic factor presented as possible cause for Shoulder Pain Syndrome (SPS). The evaluation of subacromial space has been traditionally carried out by magnetic resonance imaging, although in the last years ultrasonography has appeared as a more accessible, non-invasive and non-ionizing tool to measure this space. Quantifying this space in people suffering from chronic shoulder pain is challenging. If there is any relationship between changes in AHD and shoulder pain-function and range of movement (ROM) is still unknown. On the other hand, coracohumeral distance has been also considered as a possible risk factor for people suffering for anterior shoulder pain, being measured at the moment by MRI and CT (computed tomography). If a standard method could be develop to measure both spaces, and to determine the normative values and the relationship between these quantitative measures and shoulder pain-function and mobility, it could be of help to identify, in one hand, people at risk of perpetuating chronic shoulder pain and, on the other hand, steer treatments, contributing to increase the body of knowledge of the field. Hence, the aim of this project will be to determine the association between AHD-CHD and chronic shoulder pain and function, in addition to ROM-free of pain, and how AHD-CHD can be affected after the application of a multimodal physiotherapy program.

Keywords:ULTRASOUND, SHOULDER

Disciplines:Orthopaedics, Human movement and sports sciences, Rehabilitation sciences

Project type:Collaboration project