Retrospective cohort of 616 patients (636 shoulders) with subacromial impingement syndrome treated with indomethacin and a supervised isotonic rotator cuff strengthening protocol. Asks: what is the overall success rate, and which patient factors — age, symptom duration, acromial morphology, gender, dominance — predict who responds to conservative management?
When counseling a patient with subacromial impingement, expect roughly two-thirds to succeed with NSAIDs and a supervised rotator cuff protocol targeting infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis — but flag those with acute symptoms (<4 weeks) as best responders and those over 60 as poorest responders.
A type-III acromion alone should not fast-track a patient to surgery; outcomes with type-II and type-III acromions are statistically equivalent, and even most type-III patients respond to conservative care.
Retrospective cohort of 616 patients (636 shoulders) with subacromial impingement syndrome treated with indomethacin and a supervised isotonic rotator cuff strengthening protocol. Asks: what is the overall success rate, and which patient factors — age, symptom duration, acromial morphology, gender, dominance — predict who responds to conservative management?
When counseling a patient with subacromial impingement, expect roughly two-thirds to succeed with NSAIDs and a supervised rotator cuff protocol targeting infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis — but flag those with acute symptoms (<4 weeks) as best responders and those over 60 as poorest responders.
A type-III acromion alone should not fast-track a patient to surgery; outcomes with type-II and type-III acromions are statistically equivalent, and even most type-III patients respond to conservative care.