Diabetes mellitus is associated with slower and more incomplete remission of frozen shoulder

Frozen shoulder, also known as adhesive capsulitis, is an invalidating condition characterised by pain and stiffness of the shoulder. The natural history of the disease spans over 1-3 years usually resulting in full recovery although in some case residual pain and stiffness remains. The study of Gundtoft et al. includes 235 patients with newly diagnosed unilateral frozen shoulder and investigates whether diabetes mellitus affects the prognosis. The authors report that the 34 patients with diabetes in their cohort had a significantly poorer prognosis regarding the pain and the function of the shoulder at both 12-month and 24 month follow-ups.