Ultrasound guided interventional procedures in different shoulder joint disorders

Background The shoulder joint is a complex joint that is essential for daily activity. Shoulder pain is an extremely common condition. It is one of the most common musculoskeletal complain in the general population. Ultrasound (US) imaging is an effective tool for guidance intervention and follow-up. Several US-guided procedures are effective for pain relief, such as intra-bursal or intra-articular drugs injection, such as methylprednisolone acetate or lidocaine or platelet rich plasma. Aims This study aimed to evaluate the role of US-guided interventional procedures in different shoulder joint diseases. Patients and methods This study was carried out on 30 patients who are complaining of shoulder pain (17 females and 13 males with age ranged from 25 to 70 years) diagnosed by clinical examination with shoulder joint pain due to certain shoulder joint pathology at Orthopedic Department and referred to Radio-diagnosis and medical imaging department at Tanta University Hospitals. Results There was a significant improvement in both clinical and imaging outcomes among most of patients with supraspinatus disorders. While there was no significant improvement in the imaging outcome in most cases of biceps tenosynovitis and acromioclavicular joint osteoarthropathy but there was a significant improvement in the clinical outcome. There is no correlation between US imaging changes and visual analogue scale score or range of movement. Conclusion US is an effective imaging modality in evaluating patients with shoulder pain and in treatment by US-guided injection. US-guided injection of different shoulder joint disorders is a minimally invasive technique without significant risks.