Prevalence and Factors Associated with Abnormal Ultrasonographic Findings of Hemiplegic and Non-Hemiplegic Shoulders in Patients after Stroke

Objective: This study aimed to explore ultrasound (US) imaging in hemiplegic and non-hemiplegic shoulders in patients after stroke and to study factors associated with hemiplegic shoulder pain (HSP) and abnormal US findings on the hemiplegic side.Material and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted to explore shoulder US imaging in hemiplegic and nonhemiplegic shoulders in a total of 60 patients after stroke and to study factors associated with HSP and abnormal US findings in the hemiplegic side of stroke patients who attended an outpatient rehabilitation clinic. Results: Sixty patients after stroke were enrolled in the study (40 men and 20 women). Their mean age was 58.7 years. The prevalence of shoulder pain was 63.3% (38/60). Among those with shoulder pain, 81.6% (31/38) reported pain on the hemiplegic side. Fifty-five patients (91.7%) had shoulder US abnormalities on the hemiplegic side whereas 45 patients (75.0%) had shoulder US abnormalities on the non-hemiplegic side. The three most common shoulder US abnormalities on the hemiplegic side were biceps peritendon effusion (66.7%), supraspinatus tendinosis (45.0 %), and positive dynamic supraspinatus impingement (26.7%). The three most common shoulder US abnormalities on the non-hemiplegic were supraspinatus tendinosis (36.7%), biceps peritendon effusion (33.3%), and subdeltoid-subacromial bursitis (18.3%). Conclusion: Shoulder pain and US abnormalities were prevalent in patients with hemiplegic stroke. Biceps peritendon effusion was the most common abnormality in shoulder US imaging on the hemiplegic side.