Prevalence and Risk Factors of Shoulder Pathologies in Post-Stroke Patients: Sonographic and Functional Analyses

<ns3:p>Introduction: This study is a pilot investigation of whether ultrasound may serve as a low-cost and reliable method in the assessment of shoulder pathologies among hemiplegic patients.Objectives: The aim of the study was to utilise ultrasound to assess the incidence of pathologies in the shoulder among stroke rehabilitation patients.Material and Methods: A cohort of patients was selected from a rehabilitation clinic undergoing neurological rehabilitation after stroke of any etiology. The assessment methods included evaluation of shoulder muscles strength using the Medical research Council’s (MRC) scale, shoulder muscle tension of the affected limb via the Modified Ashworth Scale (MAS), passive range of motion (ROM), the Barthel Index, VAS, possibility of verticalisation at admission and discharge from the Clinic, and ultrasound evaluation of the shoulder.Results: Among the 37 patients included in this study, rotator cuff tendinopathy (RCT) was more frequent (p≤0.05) in patients who reported shoulder pain and those who had not achieved verticalisation by the time of discharge. Full thickness rotator cuff tears (FTRCT) on the affected side were significantly more frequent in elderly patients (p<0.005). Patients with osteoarthritis (OA) were significantly older than patients without OA (p<0.005).Conclusions: It was found that not achieving successful verticalisation by the time of discharge from the first rehabilitation session after stroke may influence occurring RCT on the affected side (p≤0.05). RCT is correlated with pain in the affected shoulder compared to other pathologies in the hemiplegic shoulder (HSP).</ns3:p>