ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE: To compare the function and health status of individuals with advanced rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and osteoarthritis (OA) of the shoulder using standardized patient self-assessment tools. METHODS: A group of patients with late-stage arthritic involvement of the shoulder was evaluated at the time of initial presentation using 2 questionnaires, one focusing on shoulder function and other on overall health status. RESULTS: There was substantial variability in the shoulder function and health status within each diagnostic group; however, both groups demonstrated significant deficits in their Simple Shoulder Test responses and in many of their Health Status Questionnaire-Short Form 36 scores. While the patients with RA tended to have somewhat greater impairment of shoulder function, many of the differences were not statistically significant. By contrast, most health status parameters were significantly more impaired in the patients with RA. CONCLUSIONS: Among patients with late-stage shoulder arthritis, the overall health status of those with RA is significantly worse than those with OA. Differences in health status may be important in selecting the optimal management for individual patients with late-stage shoulder arthritis. Self-assessment questionnaires are effective in characterizing these differences.
Subject(s)
Activities of Daily Living , Arthritis, Rheumatoid/physiopathology , Health Status , Osteoarthritis/physiopathology , Shoulder Joint , Aged , Female , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Prospective Studies , Range of Motion, Articular , Severity of Illness Index , Surveys and QuestionnairesABSTRACT
One hundred three consecutive patients with primary glenohumeral degenerative joint disease completed standard questionnaires regarding their general health status (Short Form-36) and the function of their shoulder (Simple Shoulder Test). These patients' self-assessed health status indicated overall bodily pain, physical functioning, and physical role fulfillment scores that were significantly below those of population-based control groups. Self-assessed shoulder functions were likewise consistently below those of patients with normal shoulders. These deficits clearly indicated the problems that the patients desired to have resolved by treatment. The use of self-assessment questionnaires to routinely characterize patients with shoulder conditions is practical in the context of a busy practice. These data enable surgeons to understand the condition from the patient's perspective. This understanding should be central to the planning of treatment and to the evaluation of treatment effectiveness.