ABSTRACT:
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the functionality in patients with adhesive capsulitis undergoing
suprascapular nerve block (SSNB).
METHODS A before-and-after clinical prospective study in a single center was
conducted with patients with secondary adhesive capsulitis treated with four
nerve blocks based on anatomical limits. The sample was non-probabilistic,
and it was obtained after a routine appointment at a specialized outpatient
clinic. The instruments used for evaluation were the International
Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) and the
Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, which were
applied at baseline (T0), one week after the fourth SSNB
(T4), and three months after the first SSNB (T12).
The paired t-test was used to compare the means of the ICF checklist items
and DASH in the different: T0xT4;
T4xT12; and T0xT12). The
probability of rejecting the null hypothesis was 5%.
RESULTS The sample was composed of 25 individuals with a mean age of 58.16 years; 16
of them were female. The duration of the pain symptoms ranged from 2 to 16
months, with a mean of 5.92 months. The ICF checklist showed that all
domains had already improved inT4, except for the environmental
factors, which only improved at 03 months (p = 0.037). The
patients reported improvements in shoulder function in T4, which
increased more in T12, at the end of data collection
(p = 0.019).
CONCLUSION The SSNB technique is effective in patients with adhesive capsulitis after 4
weeks of application, with improvements in individual’s functionality
lasting for 12 weeks.
Keywords: adhesive capsulitis; nerve block; International Classification of Functioning, disability and health; shoulder; patient reported outcome measures.
RESUMO:
OBJETIVO Avaliar a funcionalidade em pacientes com capsulite adesiva submetidos a
bloqueio do nervo supraescapular (BNSE).
MÉTODOS Um estudo clínico prospectivo do tipo antes e depois foi realizado em um
único centro com pacientes com capsulite adesiva secundária tratados com
quatro bloqueios baseados em limites anatômicos. A amostra foi não
probabilística, tendo sido obtida após consulta de rotina em ambulatório
especializado. Os instrumentos utilizados para avaliação foram a
Classificação Internacional de Funcionalidade, Incapacidade e Saúde (CIF) e
o questionário de Disfunções do Braço, Ombro e Mão (DASH), que foram
aplicados antes da intervenção (T0), uma semana após o quarto
BNSE (T4), e três após o primeiro BNSE (T12). As médias dos itens
da CIF e do DASH nos diferentes tempos (T0 x T4;
T4 x T12; e T0 x T12) foram
comparadas por meio do teste t pareado. A probabilidade de
rejeitar a hipótese nula foi de 5%.
RESULTADOS A amostra foi composta por 25 indivíduos com média de idade de 58,16 anos; 16
eram mulheres. A duração dos sintomas dolorosos variou de 2 a 16 meses, com
média de 5,92 meses. A CIF mostrou que todos os domínios já haviam melhorado
em T4, à exceção dos fatores ambientais, que só melhoraram aos 3
meses (p = 0,037). Os pacientes já relataram melhora na
função do ombro em T4 e mais ainda em T12, ao final da
coleta de dados (p = 0,019).
CONCLUSÃO A técnica de BNSE é eficaz em pacientes com capsulite adesiva após 4 semanas
de aplicação, com melhora da funcionalidade do indivíduo e sua manutenção
até 12 semanas.
Palavras-chave: capsulite adesiva; bloqueio nervoso; Classificação Internacional de Funcionalidade, incapacidade e saúde; medidas de resultados relatados pelo paciente; ombro.
FIGURES
| Citation: Nunes SR, Andrade FG, Fernandes MR. Adhesive Capsulitis’ Patients Report Improvement in Functionality Trough International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health Checklist and Dash After Suprascapular Nerve Blocks*. 58(3):487. doi:10.1055/s-0042-1751261 |
| Financial Support: The present study received no financial support from public, commercial, or notfor-profit sources. |
|
Conflict of interests: The authors have no conflict of interests to declare. |
|
*
Work developed at the School of Medicine of Universidade Federal de Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil. |
| Received: February 25 2022; Accepted: May 27 2022 |
INTRODUCTION
Adhesive capsulitis (AC) is a disabling shoulder disease with a prevalence of 2% to 5% among the general population that most commonly affects females between 40 and 70 years of age.1,2 Its clinical features are pain and stiffness;1,3,4 it often presents bilaterally, and does not affect the same shoulder twice. Adhesive capsulitis can present in the primary (idiopathic) form or be secondary to previous surgery, trauma, immobilization, and systemic alterations such as diabetes mellitus and hypothyroidism.1,3,4,5,6 The non-surgical approach is mandatory, and suprascapular nerve block (SSNB) is one therapeutic option with satisfactory results.7,8
This condition is limiting and negatively impacts the function and structure of the affected person’s body.8 The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) was developed by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2001 so that the individual can describe their current state of health-disease-functionality-care.9,10,11 Due to its multifaceted nature, the ICF contributes to the assessment of different health conditions; however, its use has been restricted to rehabilitation professionals.12,13
The use of the ICF checklist in the clinical practice can provide important information to be raised in patient care, with a unified and standardized language based on different constructs and domains.14,15,16 Another widely used instrument in studies on uppers limb diseases is the Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand (DASH) questionnaire, but it is only applied to evaluate the function and symptoms of this part of the body during the performance of certain activities.17
There is an increasing support for the use of patient-reported outcomes to determine the quality of the treatment and of the therapeutic conduct. These outcomes are obtained through validated questionnaires that are filled out by the patients according to their perceptions of their health status, disability and level of impairment. These questionnaires also enable the comparison of outcomes before and after procedures to evaluate the efficacy of a clinical intervention from the patients’ perspective. A combination of two types of patient-reported outcome measures is often used.18
To date, studies on AC with the simultaneous use of the ICF checklist and the DASH have not been found. This investigation would enable the mapping of the functionality construct regarding the aspects affected by AC as well as the individual as a the aim of the present study was to evaluate, through the ICF and DASH simultaneously, the functionality of patients with AC submitted to SSNB. We hypothesize that those affected will experience an improvement in both patient-reported outcome measures after the treatment.
MATERIALS AND METHODS
Location of the Study and Study Design
The present is a prospective study, of the before-and-after type, performed in a single center at a tertiary private hospital from March 2019 to July 2020. It was approved by the institutional Ethics in Research Committee on February 29, 2019, under protocol 08599119.1.0000.8058. All subjects signed the Informed Consent Form.
Participants
The finite proportion sample calculation was used considering a significance level of 5%, a test power of 80% and a margin of error of 5%. The sample size obtained was 25 participants. The sample, which was non-probabilistic and consecutive, was obtained after routine appointments at a specialized outpatient clinic.
The eligible cases of AC were those which had constant pain for more than four weeks and limited active and passive range of motion in every direction, such as: anterior elevation, external rotation in 0°/90° of abduction, and internal rotation in adduction. The imaging diagnosis showed local disuse osteopenia on radiographs and volume restriction of axillary recess, as well as thickening of coracohumeral ligament, on magnetic resonance imaging.
Patients who had secondary AC were included in the study due to the following factors established by Zuckerman and Rokito:4 previous surgery, trauma, prolonged immobilization, rotator cuff tear, calcareous tendinitis, as well as diabetes mellitus, neuropathies and hypo- or hyperthyroidism.
Patients with glenohumeral arthrosis, blocked shoulder dislocation, humeral head necrosis, malunion of the proximal humerus, and primary AC were excluded.
Data Collection
Data was collected through the following steps: 1) presentation of the research proposal and signing of the Free and Informed Consent Term; 2) application of the sociodemographic and clinical questionnaire; and 3) application of the patient-reported outcome measures (ICF checklist and DASH). All of these steps were performed by the same researcher (SRN), who was not in charge of performing the SSNB.
The four SSNBs, based on anatomical limits, were performed by the same shoulder specialist (MRF) in a prepared room in weekly intervals (►Figs. 1, 2, 3).19 The AC patient was placed in a sitting position with the affected upper limb at 0° of abduction, and the region of the shoulder was sterilized with 70% alcohol before the injection. A syringe with an 18-gauge venipuncture catheter (Abocath; Bio-Med Healthcare Products, Haryana, India) was used with 10mL of bupivacaine at 0.5% associated with 1:200.000 epinephrine (Neocaine, Cristália, Itapira, Brazil).



All patients were evaluated through the ICF checklist and DASH at baseline (T0), one week after the fourth SSNB (T4), and three months after the first SSNB (T12) (►Fig. 4).

Instruments
All 54 categories of the ICF checklist were used, and 11 of them concern body functions, 2 concern body structures, 17 are on activity and participation – performance, 17 are on activity and participation – capacity, and 7 involve environmental factors.20We used the RAW Scale formula, which has a score form 0 to 100, with qualifiers graded from 0 to 4 to determine the magnitude of the disability: 0% to 4% – none (0); 5% to 24% – slight (1); 25% to 29% –moderate (2); 50% to 95% – serious (3); and 96% to 100% – complete (4). The lower the value, the better the individual’s functionality.15,20
The DASH evaluates upper limb disabilities over time through 30 questions about symptoms and the performance of specific activities, and it can be applied before and after procedures. Its score goes up to 100 (the higher the score, the greater the disability).17,21
Outcomes/Independent Variables
The outcomes were the functionality of individuals and of the upper limb according to the ICF checklist and the DASH. The independent variables were: age (in years); gender (male/female); ethnicity (white/black/brown); level of schooling (< or ≥ eight formal years); monthly income (in multiples of the minimum wage); religion (yes/no); duration of pain (months); affected side (right/left); dominance (right-handed/left-handed).
Data Analysis
The categorical variables were presented as frequencies and percentages, while the continuous variables, as mean, standard deviation, maximum and minimum values.
The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to verify the distribution of sample data. The Cronbach alpha coefficient was calculated to verify the internal consistency and reliability of the ICF and DASH at T0, T4, and T12. The Chi-squared test was used to verify the homogeneity of the sample. The paired t-test was used to compare the means of the ICF checklist items and DASH in the different periods: T0xT4, T4xT12, andT0xT12. Statistical analyseswere performed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (IBM SPSS for Windows, IBM Corp., Armonk, NY, United States) software, version 20.0. The probability of rejecting the null hypothesis was 5%.
RESULTS
The number of patients with AC who were recruited was 52; however, 9 had primary CA, 13 with secondary CA did not want to undergo the SSNB, 3 with secondary CA did not have time to participate, and 2 did not return with the test results requested. So, the final sample was composed of 25 participants with AC.
The sociodemographic and clinical data of the sample are summarized in ►Table 1. The mean age was of 58.16 years, and the duration of the pain symptoms ranged from 2 to 16 months, with a mean of 5.92 months.
| Variables | n | % | p* |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gender | |||
| Female | 16 | 64.0 | |
| Male | 9 | 36.0 | 0.162 |
| Age | |||
| ≤ 60 years old | 15 | 60.0 | |
| > 60 years old | 10 | 40.0 | 0.317 |
| Monthly income | |||
| 1 to 2 minimum wages | 7 | 28.0 | |
| 3 to 4 minimum wages | 8 | 32.0 | 0.756 |
| ≥ 5 minimum wages | 10 | 40.0 | |
| Ethnicity | |||
| White | 17 | 68.0 | |
| Black | 2 | 8.0 | 0.001 |
| Brown | 6 | 24.0 | |
| Religion | |||
| Yes | 24 | 96.0 | |
| No | 1 | 4.0 | 0.000 |
| Level of schooling | |||
| < 8years | 4 | 16.0 | |
| ≥ 8 years | 21 | 84.0 | 0.001 |
| Affected side | |||
| Right | 17 | 68.0 | |
| Left | 8 | 32.0 | 0.072 |
| Dominance | |||
| Left-handed | 2 | 8.0 | |
| Right-handed | 23 | 92.0 | 0.000 |
| Duration of pain | |||
| 2 to 6 months | 12 | 48.0 | |
| < 6 months | 13 | 52.0 | 0.841 |
* Chi-squared test.
►Table 2 shows the reliability and internal consistency analysis of the ICF and DASH at T0, T4, and T12, with a Cronbach alpha > 0.80.
| Cronbach alpha | Number of items | |
|---|---|---|
| ICF at T0 | 0.91 | 54 |
| ICF at T4 | 0.87 | 54 |
| ICF at T12 | 0.85 | 54 |
| DASH at T0 | 0.87 | 30 |
| DAHS at T4 | 0.96 | 30 |
| DASH at T12 | 0.94 | 30 |
Abbreviations: DASH, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire; ICF, International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health; T0, baseline; T4, one week after the fourth suprascapular nerve block (SSNB); T12, three months after the first SSNB.

►Table 3 shows the results of the mean, standard deviation, maximum and minimum values of the ICF checklist domains, as well as the DASH scores at T0, T4, and T12.
| n | Mean | SD | Min. | Max. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ICF checklist | |||||
| T0 | |||||
| Body functions | 25 | 46.82 | 7.65 | 31.82 | 59.09 |
| Body structures | 25 | 62.50 | 8.84 | 50 | 75 |
| Activity and participation – performance | 25 | 38.53 | 14.96 | 1.47 | 64.71 |
| Activity and participation – capacity | 25 | 42.59 | 12.41 | 16.18 | 64.71 |
| Environmental factors | 25 | 57.71 | 9.26 | 39.29 | 75 |
| T4 | |||||
| Body functions | 19 | 32.06 | 9.90 | 11.36 | 52.27 |
| Body structures | 19 | 50.00 | 12.50 | 37.5 | 75 |
| Activity and participation – performance | 19 | 9.91 | 9.67 | 1.47 | 35.29 |
| Activity and participation – capacity | 19 | 25.77 | 9.55 | 5.88 | 39.71 |
| Environmental factors | 19 | 55.45 | 7.28 | 35.71 | 64.29 |
| T12 | |||||
| Body functions | 19 | 19.02 | 9.62 | 6.82 | 36.36 |
| Body structures | 19 | 50.66 | 11.39 | 25 | 62.50 |
| Activity and participation – performance | 19 | 8.90 | 8.64 | 1.47 | 32.35 |
| Activity and participation – capacity | 19 | 22.68 | 8.21 | 4.41 | 33.82 |
| Environmental factors | 19 | 54.89 | 7.92 | 35.71 | 67.86 |
| DASH | |||||
| DASH at T0 | 25 | 50.68 | 11.18 | 28 | 67 |
| DASH at T4 | 19 | 42.37 | 16.88 | 5 | 70 |
| DASH at T12 | 19 | 29.58 | 13.33 | 7 | 51 |
Abbreviations: DASH, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire; ICF, International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health; Max., maximum; Min., minimum; SD, standard deviation; T0, baseline; T4, one week after the fourth suprascapular nerve block (SSNB); T12, three months after the first SSNB.

The analysis of the general classification of the ICF Checklist enabled us to verify that, at the beginning of the study (T0), the individuals had functional disability, which restricted and limited their activities. At T12, they presented lower values in terms of the extent of the disability, represented by the ICF qualifiers, mainly in the categories of performance and capacity, when compared with the beginning of treatment. Likewise, the DASH scores decreased, which expresses an improvement in upper limb function.
►Table 4 shows the t-paired test analysis comparing the mean scores on the ICF checklist and DASH at T0, T4, and T12. The score on the ICF checklist showed improvement in all domains as early as T4, except for the environmental factors, which only improved at 03 months (p = 0.037). In the evaluation of the DASH, the patients had already reported an improvement in shoulder function at T4 (p = 0.019), which improved even more at the end of data collection (T12).
| T0 XT4 | T4 XT12 | T0 XT12 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| p* | p* | p* | |
| ICF Checklist | |||
| Body functions | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Body structures | 0.000 | 0.841 | 0.000 |
| Activity and participation – performance | 0.000 | 0.005 | 0.000 |
| Activity and participation – capacity | 0.000 | 0.000 | 0.000 |
| Environmental factors | 0.134 | 0.547 | 0.037 |
| DASH | 0.019 | 0.003 | 0.000 |
Abbreviations: ICF, International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health; DASH, Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder and Hand questionnaire; T0, baseline; T4, one week after the fourth suprascapular nerve block (SSNB); T12, three months after the first SSNB.
* Paired t-test.

DISCUSSION
The functionality of AC patients improved after four weeks (T4) of SSNB injections (one per week) according to the two patient-reported outcome measures used: the ICF checklist and the DASH. This improvement continued until three months after the beginning of the treatment (T12). The single ICF domain that improve only in T12 was environmental factors.
We need to know more about the health status of people with AC. The data collected in the present study contributed to the assessment of the treatment, and they can point to a new perspective regarding the assessment of functionality in the field of orthopedics.22 The results of the present study showed that the ICF checklist and the DASH enable the identification of the level of impairment of the individual and of the upper limb before the procedure, as well as the clinical evolution after it.
Studies23,24 on other health conditions that used the ICF checklist highlighted the value of this tool.23,24 Magalhães et al.23 evaluated work-related repetitive stress disorders/ musculoskeletal disorders, and found that, the ICF enabled the identification of the clinical and social aspects experienced by patients during rehabilitation and their return to work. Silveira et al.25 evaluated individuals with Parkinson disease, and the results demonstrated that the ICF seems to have good ability and sensitivity to address aspects of functionality regarding this disease.
Access to information about functionality has been a priority in the treatment of certain diseases, and the ICF is a tool with great applicability to guide these functionality processes.26 Therefore, there is a need to check the importance of including the ICF in the clinical measures, as it considers the biopsychosocial context in which the individual is inserted. In the present study, all ICF domains had already improved in the outcome studied at T4, except for the “environmental factors.”
These “environmental factors” are composed of the physical, social and environmental actions through which people live and lead their activities.9,12,15 In the present study, the results showed that the environmental factors did not represent barriers (negative) or facilitators (positive) before T12, and that the lived experience did not interfere with the disease nor impacted the individual’s functionality. It is important to know that this domain still lacks clarity about the scope of the personal factors, and if it really represents an influence on the individual’s specific functionality.10,12,26
Jung et al.27 compared the efficacy of SSNB and intraarticular corticosteroid injection in two intervention groups during a two-month evaluation, and they concluded that the association of interventions significantly improved the pain and functional outcomes of the patients. In the present study, the parameters that indicate significant improvement were observed in the first month of treatment with the SSNBs (T4), which was confirmed by the DASH and the ICF checklist.
The strategy used in the present study was composed of four injections of SSNB in seven-day intervals over the course of four weeks; however, Mortada et al.28 compared single and multiple blocks (nine injections) in three weeks, and they highlighted that this number of injections yielded better results than a single one. In the present study, improvement in shoulder function was observed with fewer applications until 12 weeks, which corroborates the findings by Haque et al.,29 who recommended the SSNB as the initial procedure of choice in patients with AC. The guidance by ultrasound28 or anatomical limits8 is effective regarding the SSNB, with comparable results.30
The use of the DASH to assess upper limb disabilities before and after the treatment is satisfactory, as it is easy to apply, and enables the monitoring of the patient in the clinical setting.21 A wide variety of available outcome tools, including the DASH, demonstrate acceptable levels of measurement properties, and are appropriate for virtually every patient with a shoulder disorder.22
The limitations of the present study include the lack of a control group submitted to another intervention for comparison. Some risk factors were not analyzed, neither were the comorbidities and other methods of treatment. The non-probabilistic sampling, of the consecutive type, may have imposed a selection bias, not enabling all patients to participate in the study. Moreover, we do not know if more severe AC patients had worse results.
However, the strengths of the study are the validated instruments (with good internal consistency that have been translated into Brazilian Portuguese, which enables the comparison across different cultures); the longitudinal clinical design with follow up; the well-defined eligibility criteria, and the absence of similar studies in the literature. All patients were submitted to x-rays and magnetic resonance, as well as to a complete clinical evaluation performed by the same shoulder specialist who performed the SSNB, who was not the same researcher who collected the data.
The simultaneous application of the DASH and ICF tools (patient reported outcome measures ) in AC patients is the novelty of the present study. The correlation of these two instruments applied in AC patients is under analysis to be published in the near future, which will enable us to understand if they complement each other or not.
CONCLUSION
According to the ICF and DASH, the SSNBs improve the functionality of AC patients. This improvement lasted up to three-months after the beginning of procedure. The single ICF domain that only improved at T12 was “environmental factors”.




