TY - JOUR
T1 - Ultrasound-diagnosed disorders in shoulder patients in daily general practice: a retrospective observational study
AU - Ottenheijm, R.P.G.
AU - van't Klooster, I.G.M.
AU - Starmans, L.M.M.
AU - Vanderdood, K.
AU - de Bie, R.A.
AU - Dinant, G.J.
AU - Cals, J.W.L.
PY - 2014/1/1
Y1 - 2014/1/1
N2 - Background: Ultrasound imaging (US) is considered an accurate and widely available method to diagnose subacromial disorders. Yet, the frequency of the specific US-diagnosed shoulder disorders of patients with shoulder pain referred from general practice is unknown. We set out to determine the frequency of specific US-diagnosed shoulder disorders in daily practice in these patients and to investigate if the disorders detected differ between specific subgroups based on age and duration of pain. Methods: A predefined selection of 240 ultrasound reports of patients with shoulder pain (20 reports for each month in 2011) from a general hospital (Orbis Medical Centre Sittard-Geleen, The Netherlands) were descriptively analysed. Inclusion criteria were: (i) referral from general practice, (ii) age >= 18 years, and (iii) unilateral shoulder examination. Subgroups were created for age (< 65 years and >= 65 years) and duration of pain (acute or subacute (< 12 weeks) and chronic (>= 12 weeks)). The occurrence of each specific disorder is expressed as absolute and relative frequencies. Results: With 29%, calcific tendonitis was the most frequently diagnosed disorder, followed by subacromial-subdeltoid bursitis (12%), tendinopathy (11%), partial-thickness tears (11%), full-thickness tears (8%) and AC-osteoarthritis (0.4%). For 40% of patients, no disorders were found on US. Significantly more full thickness-tears were found in the >= 65 years group. 'No disorders' was reported significantly more often in the < 65 years group. The supraspinatus tendon was the most frequently affected tendon (72%). Conclusions: Calcific tendonitis is the most common US-diagnosed disorder affecting patients in general practice, followed by subacromial-subdeltoid bursitis, tendinopathy, partial-and full-thickness tears and AC-osteoarthritis. Full-thickness tears were diagnosed significantly more frequently in patients >= 65 years, while ` no disorders' was more frequently reported in patients < 65 years. Our findings imply that patients can be stratified into diagnostic subgroups, allowing more tailored treatment than currently applied.
AB - Background: Ultrasound imaging (US) is considered an accurate and widely available method to diagnose subacromial disorders. Yet, the frequency of the specific US-diagnosed shoulder disorders of patients with shoulder pain referred from general practice is unknown. We set out to determine the frequency of specific US-diagnosed shoulder disorders in daily practice in these patients and to investigate if the disorders detected differ between specific subgroups based on age and duration of pain. Methods: A predefined selection of 240 ultrasound reports of patients with shoulder pain (20 reports for each month in 2011) from a general hospital (Orbis Medical Centre Sittard-Geleen, The Netherlands) were descriptively analysed. Inclusion criteria were: (i) referral from general practice, (ii) age >= 18 years, and (iii) unilateral shoulder examination. Subgroups were created for age (< 65 years and >= 65 years) and duration of pain (acute or subacute (< 12 weeks) and chronic (>= 12 weeks)). The occurrence of each specific disorder is expressed as absolute and relative frequencies. Results: With 29%, calcific tendonitis was the most frequently diagnosed disorder, followed by subacromial-subdeltoid bursitis (12%), tendinopathy (11%), partial-thickness tears (11%), full-thickness tears (8%) and AC-osteoarthritis (0.4%). For 40% of patients, no disorders were found on US. Significantly more full thickness-tears were found in the >= 65 years group. 'No disorders' was reported significantly more often in the < 65 years group. The supraspinatus tendon was the most frequently affected tendon (72%). Conclusions: Calcific tendonitis is the most common US-diagnosed disorder affecting patients in general practice, followed by subacromial-subdeltoid bursitis, tendinopathy, partial-and full-thickness tears and AC-osteoarthritis. Full-thickness tears were diagnosed significantly more frequently in patients >= 65 years, while ` no disorders' was more frequently reported in patients < 65 years. Our findings imply that patients can be stratified into diagnostic subgroups, allowing more tailored treatment than currently applied.
U2 - 10.1186/1471-2296-15-115
DO - 10.1186/1471-2296-15-115
M3 - Article
C2 - 24916105
SN - 1471-2296
VL - 15
JO - BMC Family Practice
JF - BMC Family Practice
IS - 1
M1 - 115
ER -