| Methods |
Randomised controlled trial.
Blinding: both patients and outcome assessors were blinded.
Loss to follow‐up: unclear
Appropriate statistical analysis: unclear |
| Participants |
52 patients ‐ reported on first 41 patients
Inclusion criteria:
rotator cuff tendinitis or partial rotator cuff tears who have failed to improve with non‐surgical treatment.
Exclusion criteria: full thickness tear, cuff arthopathy, previous surgery, greater than one subacromial steroid injection, injection within 3 months, inflammatory arthritis or shoulder instability. |
| Interventions |
Group 1: (20 patients) 5ml subacromial injection of 2% lidocaine via posterior approach.
Group 2 (21 patients): injection as above of 4ml 2% lidocaine and 1ml 6mg betamethasone. |
| Outcomes |
Assessed at baseline, 2, 6 weeks, 3, 6 months.
1) Western Ontario Rotator Cuff index (WORC)
2) American shoulder and elbow surgeons (ASES)
3) Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH)
4) active forward elevation
5) internal and external rotation at 90 degrees of shoulder abduction
6) Neer's impingement sign |
| Notes |
Abstract only ‐ no results presented that could be used for meta‐analysis.
Results showed that both groups improved compared with baseline assessment but no difference between the two treatments. |
| Risk of bias |
| Bias |
Authors' judgement |
Support for judgement |
| Allocation concealment? |
Unclear risk |
B ‐ Unclear |
