Capsular Release

Frozen Shoulder is an extremely painful condition in which the shoulder is completely or partially unmovable. Frozen shoulder often starts out of the blue, but may be triggered by a mild injury to the shoulder. The condition goes through three phases, starting with pain, then stiffness and finally a stage of resolution as the pain eases and most of the movement returns. This process may take an awfully long time, sometimes as long as two or more years. Arthroscopic capsular release is keyhole surgery involving the release of the tight capsule seen in ‘frozen shoulder’. The capsule is released using a special probe.

Frozen shoulder may be associated with diabetes and is also seen in patients with scar tissue in their hands, a condition called Dupuytren’s contracture. Surgery may be required to restore motion for some patients, as most people never regain full shoulder motion. It is also used in patients where their pain fails to respond to physiotherapy treatment.