Frozen shoulder, a painful condition severely limiting mobility, now has a promising new treatment option. U.S. interventional radiologists are pioneering arterial embolization to effectively address adhesive capsulitis.
Frozen shoulder involves progressive stiffening and loss of motion in the shoulder joint. This complex joint features seven muscles and tendons for multi-directional movement, all enclosed by a fibrous capsule. The condition arises when this capsule thickens and loses elasticity.
While injury can trigger it, frozen shoulder often develops without an obvious cause—a puzzle recognized for over 150 years. Conventional treatments, such as anti-inflammatory medications and joint injections, provide modest relief but require 6 to 24 months for recovery.
During the Society of Interventional Radiology (SIR) 2020 Virtual conference in mid-June 2020, experts highlighted a breakthrough developed by Sandeep Bagla, MD, and his team at the Vascular Institute of Virginia. Their FDA-approved clinical trial tested arterial embolization for frozen shoulder.
The trial enrolled 12 patients after one month of standard therapy. Using a catheter inserted via the radial artery (wrist) or femoral artery (groin), physicians navigated to shoulder arteries and deployed tiny microspheres to block excessive blood flow fueling inflammation.
This outpatient procedure, completed in about one hour through a pin-sized incision, significantly reduced pain and improved arm mobility. As an FDA-approved study, these findings warrant further validation by the medical community.
