Assessment of the involvement of the inferior glenohumeral capsuloligamentous complex in frozen shoulder using shear wave elastography: a study with MRI correlation

Objectives This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of shear wave elastography (SWE) as a diagnostic tool for frozen shoulder (FS). Methods Thirty patients with FS and 34 healthy volunteers were included in the study. Patients with clinical findings consistent with FS and whose MRI results were indicative of FS were included. SWE was performed on these patients, measuring stiffness in the anterior band of the inferior glenohumeral capsuloligamentous complex (IGHCC) using the Virtual Touch Quantification elastography method. Stiffness values were expressed as shear wave velocity (SWV) in meters per second, and statistical analyses were performed to compare stiffness values between the FS and control groups. Results Significant differences in SWV values were observed between the FS and the control groups (P < .001). Additionally, a significant interaction between group and gender was observed (P = .007) based on a 2-way analysis of variance. Conclusion SWE revealed significant stiffening of the IGHCC in FS patients compared to controls, demonstrating its practicality and reliability as an imaging method alongside MRI for assessing IGHCC involvement in FS patients. Advances in knowledge SWE may serve as an alternative imaging method for diagnosing and monitoring FS.