This study compared two anesthesia approaches for shoulder manipulation in adults with primary frozen shoulder that had not improved after at least 6 months of conservative treatment. A total of 72 participants were randomly assigned to undergo manipulation either with ultrasound-guided wide-awake local anesthesia no tourniquet (WALANT) in an outpatient setting or under general anesthesia in the operating room.
The main outcome was shoulder forward flexion 4 weeks after the procedure. Other outcomes included shoulder abduction, external rotation, internal rotation, pain, shoulder function, anxiety before the procedure, and early procedure-related complications. Participants were evaluated before the procedure and during the first 4 weeks after treatment. The study aimed to determine whether outpatient manipulation under WALANT could provide short-term clinical outcomes comparable to those of manipulation under general anesthesia.