Thoracic outlet syndrome

Thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is an often misdiagnosed cause of neck, shoulder, and arm disability. Neurovascular compression may be seen in the interscalene triangle, costoclavicular space, or posterior to the pectoralis minor, although any cause of abnormalities of shoulder girdle alignment may cause a localized area of brachial plexus compression. Nerve compression in this way may lead to upper extremity weakness, pain, paresthesias, and numbness. A careful and detailed medical history and physical examination are essential to proper identification of thoracic outlet syndrome, which remains primarily a clinical diagnosis. Diagnostic testing may differentiate other causes of pain or neurologic symptoms of the upper extremity from TOS. Clinical management is often challenging.     

Neurovascular trauma in athletes

Injuries to neurovascular structures are not the most common injuries seen in athletes and for this reason may often be overlooked. Additionally, diagnosis and management may be more difficult because of inexperience with these injuries. The majority of acute sports-related neurovascular injuries are associated with contact sports such as rugby, wrestling, ice hockey, and especially football. These injuries most commonly occur about the shoulder girdle and brachial plexus, with "burners" syndrome being the most common. Less common injuries include thoracic outlet syndrome, effort-induced thrombosis, axillary artery occlusion, and peripheral nerve injuries, as well as compression syndromes involving the axillary, suprascapular, and long thoracic nerves.     

Ganglion cysts about the shoulder girdle in the absence of suprascapular nerve involvement

Ganglion cysts about the shoulder girdle are being identified with increasing frequency by the magnetic resonance image scanner. These masses rarely become evident clinically unless they cause compression of the suprascapular nerve. In this series a ganglion not causing compression of the suprascapular nerve was identified in each of five patients. Three of these patients had shoulder pain, tenderness over the supraspinotus muscle, and an increase in pain with abduction in the plane of the scapula. Plain radiographs showed erosion of the scapular neck. In the remaining two patients the pain pattern was consistent with an impingement syndrome in one and a rotator cuff tear in the other. Successful operative resection was undertaken on three patients. In two of these patients the magnetic resonance image scan helped determine the need for simultaneous exposure of the suprospinous and infraspinous fossae by means of scapular spine osteotomy. In the two patients not believed to be symptomatic from their ganglia, treatment for the primary shoulder diagnosis resulted in complete relief of symptoms. In the absence of suprascapular nerve involvement, the presence of a ganglion cyst in the shoulder girdle is not an absolute indication for operative resection. In the presence of another common shoulder diagnosis, treatment for that diagnosis should be pursued.     

Compressive, invasive referred pain to the shoulder

The painful shoulder can be the presenting complaint of a wide variety of local, as well as systemic, problems. Compression of the brachial plexus or occlusion of the subclavian vessels caused by narrowing of the thoracic outlet is best diagnosed by a thorough history and physical examination, and by performing the appropriate test maneuvers. Patients who do not respond to an exercise program to strengthen the shoulder girdle may require surgical excision of the first rib to enlarge the thoracic outlet. Referred pain in the shoulder originating from the cervical spine or peripheral nerves can be determined by cervical spine roentgenograms and nerve conduction tests. Neoplasms and parenchymal disease of the lung, and infections of the pleural and subdiaphragmatic areas can refer pain to the shoulder through the phrenic nerve. For those patients with persistent shoulder pain and no discernible musculoskeletal abnormalities who do not respond to standard therapeutic measures, another source of the shoulder pain should be sought.     

Supraclavicular nerve entrapment syndrome

Supraclavicular nerve entrapment syndrome, although rare, should be considered among the causes of anterior shoulder girdle pain. This syndrome is usually related to anatomic variants (involving the bone structures, fibrous bands, or muscles and tendons). Computed tomography is the most useful investigation. Medications used to treat neuropathic pain may provide relief. Otherwise, a local glucocorticoid injection or even surgical decompression should be considered.     

Conservative treatment for thoracic outlet syndrome

Conservative treatment of thoracic outlet syndrome consists initially of pain control and medicinal and physical measures. Therapy then addresses tight muscles, with strengthening of weakened neck and shoulder girdle muscles. Range of motion and nerve gliding exercises are instituted simultaneously, and the patient is educated in proper posture and ergonomics at home and in the work setting.     

Axillary nerve injury

Axillary nerve injury remains the most common peripheral nerve injury to affect the shoulder. It most often is seen after glenohumeral joint dislocation, proximal humerus fracture, or a direct blow to the deltoid muscle. Compression neuropathy has been reported to occur in the quadrilateral space syndrome, although the true pathophysiology of this disorder remains unclear. The axillary nerve is vulnerable during any operative procedure involving the inferior aspect of the shoulder and iatrogenic injury remains a serious complication of shoulder surgery. During the acute phase of injury, the shoulder should be rested, and when clinically indicated, a patient should undergo an extensive rehabilitation program emphasizing range of motion and strengthening of the shoulder girdle muscles. If no axillary nerve recovery is observed by 3 to 6 months after injury, surgical exploration may be indicated, especially if the mechanism of injury is consistent with nerve rupture. Patients who sustain injury to the axillary nerve have a variable prognosis for nerve recovery although return of function of the involved shoulder typically is good to excellent, depending on associated ligamentous or bony injury.     

Nerve lesions about the shoulder

The shoulder is the most mobile joint in the body. Because it serves as a way station for the nerves supplying the upper limb, it creates a potential for nerve lesions that may be caused or significantly influenced by the complex dynamics of the shoulder girdle. This article presents the most commonly encountered lesions as well as an algorithm for their diagnosis and treatment.     

Three-dimensional analysis of shoulder girdle and supraspinatus motion patterns in patients with impingement syndrome.

Alterations of the shoulder girdle motion have been suggested to be associated with shoulder disorders. The objective of this study was to perform a three-dimensional (3D) motion analysis of the supraspinatus muscle and shoulder girdle in patients with different stages of impingement syndrome. 20 patients with unilateral impingement and 14 normal controls were investigated at 30 degrees, 90 degrees, and 120 degrees of abduction with and without abducting muscle activity. The spatial relationship between the shoulder girdle elements and the supraspinatus was quantified from open MRI data. No significant alterations in glenoid rotation were observed between the patients and asymptomatic volunteers. However, while in the healthy volunteers the values showed a normal distribution (28.5+/-3.6 degrees at 90 degrees abduction with muscle activity), the patients (30.5 degrees+/-9.7 degrees) contained a subset of five individuals with an obvious increase in glenoid rotation angle (>40 degrees) compared with controls (>2.5 standard deviations higher than the mean) and with the healthy contralateral side. These five patients also displayed alterations in the scapulo-humeral rhythm and supraspinatus motion, but not in clavicular position. The study shows that only a specific subset of patients with impingement syndrome demonstrates complex changes in shoulder girdle and supraspinatus motion patterns, suggesting that this subset may benefit from an alternative type of treatment.     

Thoracic outlet syndrome

The diagnosis and treatment of thoracic outlet syndrome based on a personal experience with 473 patients resulted in relief of symptoms in over 90 percent of patients treated operatively. The diagnosis centers on a thorough history and the exclusion of other causes of arm and shoulder pain, utilizing a strict flow pattern of differential diagnosis. Angiography and electromyography are of limited value and should only be performed in selected cases. Operation should be reserved for the thoroughly evaluated patient who continues to have pain despite adequate conservative therapy. Transaxillary removal of the first rib, fibromuscular bands, and cervical rib, when present, is the operation of choice.     

Shoulder girdle neoplasms mimicking frozen shoulder syndrome

Shoulder pain and immobility comprise a multifactorial disorder apparently affected by pain inhibiting joint motion. As the syndrome is very common, many patients do not undergo detailed imaging studies before treatment. This study compared a series of 7 patients in whom a neoplasm was the underlying cause for the stiff shoulder with a series of 50 patients with primary or secondary frozen shoulder. In addition to a detailed history being taken, the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand (DASH) upper limb outcomes data collection questionnaire was completed and physical examination, radiography, ultrasonography, and bone scanning were performed in all cases. In the cases of tumor, the presenting symptom was a stiff shoulder without radiographic abnormality in 7 of 67 patients with shoulder girdle neoplasms who were seen at our musculoskeletal oncology clinic. The tumors included osteoid osteoma, osteoblastoma, metastatic carcinoma, chondrosarcoma, periosteal lipoma, and acute lymphoblastic lymphoma. The diagnosis was established in all cases by an area of focal isotope uptake demonstrated by a routine technetium 99 methylene diphosphonate bone scan. In a single case of metastatic colon carcinoma, the diagnosis could only be established by magnetic resonance imaging, as the radiographs were normal and the bone scan demonstrated diffuse uptake over the proximal humerus. The patients whose frozen shoulder was caused by an underlying tumor were significantly younger and had a lower fatigue/energy dimension score on the RAND Short Form-36 health survey. The most useful diagnostic test appears to be a discrete area of bony tenderness, present in 7 of 7 patients with tumor and in only 5 of 50 patients in the control group. Although an underlying tumor is a rare cause of frozen shoulder syndrome, the potential grave consequences of misdiagnosis and the possibility of performing an unnecessary and ineffective invasive procedure should prompt physicians to increased vigilance. In patients with discrete bony tenderness elicited by light tapping, a bone scan should be ordered and magnetic resonance imaging should be considered.     

Complete cervical rib. Possible neurovascular implications of the upper limb

The thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) is caused by compression of the brachial plexus or subclavian artery or vein in the region of the neck and shoulder girdle. The neurovascular bundle may be compressed at multiple sites: costoclavicular space, interscalene triangle, insertion of the pectoralis minor into the coracoid process. More than 90% of the patients present with neurologic symptoms: pain, paraesthesias or arm and hand weakness and 10% also have vascular problems. The diagnosis of TOS is always difficult and depends on careful clinical study of patients. For the neurological type of TOS, electromyograms, arteriograms and venograms are not helpful. The value of Doppler study and of arteriography is demonstrated in the present case of a woman with a five month history of pain and paraesthesias of the arm and hand, who shoved sudden occlusion of left humeral artery. Roentgenograms showed the presence of a well developed left cervical rib. Doppler study and arteriography showed the compression of subclavian artery with the arm abduction manoeuver. After first rib resection and humeral artery thrombectomy there was a complete return of humeral artery flow and of all neurologic functions. Thus the role of first cervical rib or other bone and muscular structures must be emphasyzed both in the brachial and in the subclavian artery or vein compression. Embolization of the axillary or humeral artery should be corrected as soon as possible when the cervical rib is corrected.     

Thoracic outlet compression syndrome

In patients suffering from chronic, therapy-resistant shoulder and arm pains, the thoracic outlet compression syndrome (TOS) should be included in the differential diagnosis. It is very important to look out for neurogenic disorders as well as early signs of vascular compression in order to prevent ischaemic injuries. Although the initial complaints appear slight and can in some cases be treated successfully by conservative methods, neurogenic disorders due to TOS as well as arterial and venous manifestations of the syndrome should be treated by resection of the first rib. Only in this way can irreversible neurogenic lesions and arterial or venous complications be prevented.     

Insidious onset of shoulder girdle weakness

STUDY DESIGN: Resident's case problem. BACKGROUND: An 18-year-old man presented to physical therapy 3 days after insidious onset of painless left shoulder girdle weakness. DIAGNOSIS: Decreased light touch sensation was noted on the lateral left shoulder. In addition, weakness was present with shoulder abduction, flexion, external rotation, and internal rotation. Results of magnetic resonance imaging and radiography of the cervical spine, brachial plexus, and left shoulder were normal, Electromyography and nerve conduction velocity study findings were consistent with axillary nerve palsy. The results of the physical examination and diagnostic studies were most consistent with axillary nerve mononeuropathy, probably caused by traction or pressure due to wearing a pack while hiking or firing a weapon. DISCUSSION: With sling protection, limitation of physical activity, and gradual return to progressive resistance exercises, the patient had full return of strength and function 2 1/2 months after onset of symptoms. The differential diagnosis for shoulder girdle weakness should be well understood by physical therapists. This knowledge will help the therapist promptly identify the cause of shoulder girdle weakness and initiate appropriate treatment. If the condition requires further evaluation or treatment by another healthcare provider, prompt identification of pathology will allow appropriate timely referral.     

Zoster paresis of the shoulder. Case report and review of the literature

More than 95% of people in the United States are infected with the varicella zoster virus at some time in life, and this infection usually is manifested as chicken pox during childhood. The virus then establishes a latent infection of sensory ganglia, from which it may reactivate many years later to cause herpes zoster (shingles), a cutaneous painful rash along a dermatomal distribution. Less commonly, the varicella zoster virus may result in myotomal motor weakness or paralysis in addition to a painful dermatomal rash. A case of unilateral left C5-C6 segmental paresis attributable to herpes zoster in an otherwise healthy individual and a current review of the literature are presented. A case of zoster paresis of the shoulder muscles is presented to remind the orthopaedic community that this diagnosis may be confused with other diagnoses, including rotator cuff tear, and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of shoulder pain and shoulder girdle muscle weakness.     

Pathology of the shoulder as it relates to the differential diagnosis of thoracic outlet compression.

Shoulder pathology and its diagnosis must be considered in evaluation of the patient suspected of having thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS). Overlooking usually treatable conditions in the shoulder may lead to unfavorable results, if treatment is directed, instead, to neurolysis of the brachial plexus or first rib resection.     

Klinische Untersuchung der Schulter

A systematic clinical examination of the shoulder joint, including a structured medical history, is essential for the diagnosis of shoulder pathologies. Complex clinical situations that are accompanied by pain, restriction of movement, loss of strength, or instability have to be considered in accordance with the functional interaction between the cervical spine, the shoulder girdle, and the glenohumeral joint. Only accurate diagnosis allows us to apply successful therapeutic interventions. In order to achieve this, the physician needs to use standardized clinical tests and signs combined with a profound knowledge of the anatomy and the possible underlying pathologies. To ensure a structured approach as well as a complete documentation of results, a shoulder assessment form should be used. The information obtained from the history, examination, and collected data form the basis for further diagnostic imaging.     

Parsonage–Turner syndrome revealing Lyme borreliosis

Parsonage–Turner syndrome, also known as acute brachial neuritis or neuralgic amyotrophy, can be caused by various infectious agents. We report on four patients who experienced Parsonage–Turner syndrome as the first manifestation of Lyme disease. The clinical picture was typical, with acute shoulder pain followed rapidly by weakness and wasting of the shoulder girdle muscles. Electrophysiological testing showed denervation. A single patient reported erythema chronicum migrans after a tick bite. Examination of the cerebrospinal fluid showed lymphocytosis and protein elevation in 3 patients. Serological tests for Lyme disease were positive in the serum in all 4 patients and in the cerebrospinal fluid in 2 patients. Antibiotic therapy ensured a favorable outcome in all 4 cases. Two patients achieved a full recovery within 6 months. Parsonage–Turner syndrome should be added to the list of manifestations of neuroborreliosis. Serological tests for Lyme disease should be performed routinely in patients with Parsonage–Turner syndrome.     

Clinical Importance of the Muscular Arch of the Axilla (Axillopectoral muscle,Langer’s Axillary Arch)

The muscular arch of the axilla is described in a male cadaver on the left side. The condition may be the result of a factor affecting the intrauterin development. Because this muscular arch causes difficulties in staging lymph nodes, axillary surgery, thoracic outlet syndrome, shoulder instability or cosmetic problems, it should be kept in mind for axillary pathologies.     

Clinical importance of the muscular arch of the axilla (axillopectoral muscle, Langer's axillary arch)

The muscular arch of the axilla is described in a male cadaver on the left side. The condition may be the result of a factor affecting the intrauterin development. Because this muscular arch causes difficulties in staging lymph nodes, axillary surgery, thoracic outlet syndrome, shoulder instability or cosmetic problems, it should be kept in mind for axillary pathologies.