Safety and Effectiveness of Intra-articular Injection on the Ipsilateral Adhesive Capsulitis after Breast Cancer Surgery

ABSTRACT

Objective@#To confirm the safety of Intra-articular (IA) injection on the ipsilateral adhesive capsulitis (AC) after breast cancer surgery. @*Methods@#Between January 2017 and May 2020, we retrospectively studied 29 patients after breast cancer surgery who underwent IA injection in the glenohumeral joint for AC in aseptic procedure. @*Results@#There were no side effects or complications such as lymphedema or cellulitis in the patients. There was a significant improvement in pain score and range of motion (ROM) at the 1st, 3rd, and 6th months visits compared to the baseline (p<0.05). The presence or absence of axillary lymph node dissection and radiation therapy had no significant difference in improvement of ROM. But, in rotator cuff syndrome (RCS) group, there was a significant difference in improvement of shoulder IR in patients without RCS. @*Conclusion@#IA Injection on the ipsilateral AC after breast cancer surgery was safe and even effective to improve pain and shoulder ROM. Ipsilateral IA injection can be a good treatment for breast cancer surgery patients suffering from AC.