Shoulder Impairment Following Intensive Care

Patient selection: ICU survivor

Outcome: new-onset or worsening of shoulder disability, often persisting > 6 months after discharge and often bilateral

Criteria for ICU-related shoulder impairment - one or more of the following:

(1) VAS for shoulder pain >= 3 (range 0 to 10)

(2) Constant-Murley score < 80 (range from 0 to 100)

(3) shoulder flexion < 150 degrees

(4) external rotation of the shoulder < 45 degrees

(5) internal rotation > 10th thoracic vertebra

Some possible causes include:

(1) frozen shoulder

(2) bursitis

(3) tendinosis/tendonitis

(4) tear