Filip Struyf

University of Antwerp | UA · Rehabilitation Sciences and Physiotherapy

Massive irreparable rotator cuff tears can cause significant shoulder pain, disability and reduction in quality of life. Treatment approaches can be operative or non-operative. Operative approaches include reverse total shoulder arthroplasty, arthroscopic debridement, partial rotator cuff repair, subacromial balloon spacers, superior capsule recons...

This study investigated the intra-rater reliability of a novice ultrasound (US) examiner and the inter-rater reliability of two examiners (novice, expert) in the measures of coracohumeral distance at rest (CHD) and at 60° of elevation without (CHD60) or with weights (CHD60w), tendon thickness of the long head of the biceps (LHB) and subscapularis (...

Stroke is a common pathology worldwide, with an age-standardized global rate of new strokes of 150.5 per 100,000 population in 2017. Stroke causes upper motor neuron impairment leading to a spectrum of muscle weakness around the shoulder joint, changes in muscle tone, and subsequent soft tissue changes. Hemiplegic shoulder pain (HSP) is the most co...

Objectives The aim of this study was to analyze whether differences in the coracohumeral distance (CHD) exist between the symptomatic and the asymptomatic shoulder in patients with subacromial pain syndrome and compare with the shoulder of control participants. Methods This was a cross-sectional, observational study. A sample comprising 62 partici...

Introduction There is a large diversity in the clinical presentation of frozen shoulder (FS) and the clinical outcome is not always satisfactory. The aim of the current study was to examine to what extent range of motion (ROM) limitation, metabolic factors (diabetes mellitus and thyroid disorders), autonomic symptoms and pain sensitivity may contri...

The coracoid pain test (CPT) could contribute to the diagnosis of frozen shoulder (FS) with palpation. However, due to assessor performance these values might be unreliable. Therefore, the aim was to explore the diagnostic accuracy of an instrument-assisted CPT and two alternative approaches (pain severity and side comparison) for assistance in the...

Objectives: The pathophysiology of frozen shoulder (FS) is thought to be related to chronic inflammation. Chronic inflammation may disturb the immune system and consequently the nervous system as part of an overarching system. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of disturbed autonomic nervous system function and altered central pai...

Frozen shoulder is a common debilitating disorder characterized by shoulder pain and progressive loss of shoulder movement. Frozen shoulder is frequently associated with other systemic conditions or occurs following periods of immobilization, and has a protracted clinical course, which can be frustrating for patients as well as health-care professi...

Introduction: Prognosis following surgical rotator cuff repair (RCR) is often established through the assessment of non-modifiable biomedical factors such as tear size. This understates the complex nature of recovery following RCR. There is a need to identify modifiable psychosocial and sleep-related variables, and to find out whether changes in c...

Objective: To summarize factors that are associated with a better treatment outcome after post-operative physical therapy in patients with shoulder arthroplasty. Data sources: PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science. Review methods: Studies examining factors that are associated with a better outcome after post-operative physical therapy intervent...

Frozen shoulder (FS) is a pathology that is difficult to understand and difficult to manage. Over the last ten years, contradictory and new evidence is provided regarding the recovery and its natural course. This narrative review provides new information about the diagnosis and conservative treatment of patients with FS and ongoing research hypothe...

Objective: Understanding the underlying mechanisms behind shoulder dysfunctions in patients with diabetes mellitus. Study Design: Systematic qualitative literature review. Participants: Patients with shoulder dysfunctions and diagnosed with impaired glucose tolerance or diabetes mellitus. Intervention: Published scientific literature containing evi...

Background: Acromiohumeral distance (AHD) and supraspinatus tendon thickness (STT) measured by ultrasound (US) can be combined in the occupation ratio (OR). Inter-rater reliability on these subacromial measures depends on the US experience of raters and on the subject status, differing between asymptomatic or patients with subacromial shoulder pai...

Background There is a lack of standardized criteria for diagnosing Rotator Cuff Related Shoulder Pain (RCRSP). Objective To identify the most relevant clinical descriptors for diagnosing RCRSP. Methods A Delphi study was conducted through use of an international physical therapists expert panel. A 3-round Delphi survey involving an international...

The current systematic review aimed to compare the effect of injury-focused (specific) exercises versus more general (non-specific) exercises on pain in patients with chronic neck or shoulder pain. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, and Web of Science. Two reviewers screened and selected studies, extracted outcomes, assessed risk of bias, and rated the qu...

Frozen shoulder (FS) is a poorly understood condition resulting in substantial shoulder pain and mobility deficits. The mechanisms behind FS are not yet fully understood, but, similar to other persistent pain states, central pain mechanisms may contribute to ongoing symptoms in this population. The objective of this research was to investigate cond...

Objective : To determine 1) the effect of exercise therapy alone or in combination with other interventions compared to solely exercises and programs with or without exercises? And 2) what kind of exercise therapy or combination with other interventions is most effective? Design : Systematic review and meta-analysis. Participants : Patients with...

Background: Knowledge of predictors for shoulder pain in swimmers can assist professionals working with the athlete in developing optimal prevention strategies. However, study methodology and limited available data have constrained a comprehensive understanding of which factors cause shoulder pain. Purpose: To investigate risk factors and develop a...

The high incidence of injury during swim‐training as well as the increasing demands of the sports make monitoring of the swimmer’s training load a key concept requiring further investigation. Research has previously introduced numerous methods for the purposes of monitoring the swimmer’s training load, but a narrative review discussing the strength...

Background: Pain can be influenced by several factors, including stress. Stress can have various reactions on pain. These reactions are influenced by several internal factors such as gender, age, and experience with stress or pain. Objectives: To determine the effect of acute stress on mechanical hyperalgesia (with pressure pain thresholds [PPT]...

Purpose To summarise factors that might influence treatment outcomes of physical therapy in patients with frozen shoulder. Methods A systematic literature study was performed by searching electronic bibliographies PubMed and Web of Science. Original full text research articles about human adults with frozen shoulder, assessing influencing factors...

Objective Our aim was to analyze whether shoulder pain is related to scapular upward rotation (SUR) or to the lengths of the pectoralis minor and levator scapulae muscles. Methods This cross-sectional, observational study was carried out in 3 primary-care centers; 54 individuals with chronic shoulder pain participated. Scapular upward rotation and...

Objective Kinesiophobia is a clinically relevant factor in the management of chronic musculoskeletal pain. The aim of this study was to explore the cross-sectional association between kinesiophobia and both pain intensity and disability among individuals with chronic shoulder pain. Methods A total of 65 participants with chronic unilateral subacro...

Context: The latissimus dorsi plays a major role in generating the propulsive force during swimming. In addition, stiffness of this muscle may result in altered stroke biomechanics and predispose swimmers to shoulder pain. Measuring the flexibility of the latissimus dorsi can be of interest to reduce injury. However, the reliability of such measur...

Background Competitive swimmers are exposed to enormous volumes of swim training that may overload the soft tissue structures and contribute to shoulder pain. An understanding of training factors associated with the injury is needed before practice guidelines can be developed. Objectives To investigate the relationship between swim-training volume...

Study design: Systematic review. Background: Subacromial shoulder pain (SSP) is a frequently diagnosed shoulder complaint. Management often involves an exercise programme but may include many other interventions. The aim of this review is to update the systematic review published by Littlewood et al. in 2013, which focused on evaluating the effe...

The predictive value of the multiple hop test for first-time noncontact lateral ankle sprains. Background: Lateral ankle sprains (LAS) are very common sports injuries, cause high health care costs and are associated with postural control deficits. From a preventive point of view, clinicians should dispose valid field tests to identify athletes at...

BACKGROUND: Pain can be influenced by several factors, including stress. Stress can have various reactions on pain. These reactions are influenced by several internal factors such as gender, age, and experience with stress or pain. OBJECTIVES: To determine the effect of acute stress on mechanical hyperalgesia (with pressure pain thresholds [PPT]),...

Objectives: To explore the association between psychological factors and shoulder pain intensity, function, as well as local and generalized pressure pain hypersensitivity. Design: a cross-sectional study. Methods: 90 participants with chronic shoulder pain were included. Pressure pain thresholds determined the presence of pain hypersensitivit...

OBJECTIVE To test the validity of the coracoid pain test and to obtain possible discriminative validity for subgroups of FS patients (with DM and autonomic dysfunction).

Objective To determine the potential differences in both scapular positioning and scapular movement between the symptomatic and asymptomatic contralateral shoulder, in patients with unilateral subacromial pain syndrome (SAPS), and when compared with participants free of shoulder pain. Setting Three different primary care centres. Participants A s...

Background: Disorders of the rotator cuff are a common musculoskeletal pain presentation in the general population, and treatment by a physiotherapist is often prescribed. In 2011, 2016, surveys of physiotherapy practice in the United Kingdom (UK) were performed, which reported that advice and exercise were the most common treatment strategies use...

Objectives: To investigate the association of pain sensitivity and endogenous analgesia capacity, and training volume in a group of competitive swimmers. Design: An observational multi-center study. Setting: Multiple competitive swimming clubs. Participants: 102 healthy competitive swimmers. Main outcome measures: Training volume was estimated...

Objective: To determine whether the thickness of the rotator interval tendons is different when comparing both symptomatic and non-symptomatic sides in people with chronic shoulder pain, and to those free of pain. Furthermore, to calculate the level of association between the rotator interval tendon thicknesses and perceived shoulder pain-function....

Objective:: To examine the predictive, moderating and mediating role of cognitive, emotional and behavioral factors on pain and disability following shoulder treatment. Data sources:: Electronic databases (PubMed, Web of Science, Embase and PsycINFO) were searched until 14 January 2019. Study selection:: Studies including persons with musculos...

Objective: The aim of this study was to systematically review and critically appraise the role of self-efficacy in pain intensity, function, psychological factors, health behaviors, and quality of life in people with rheumatoid arthritis, based on the analyses of longitudinal studies. Methods: An electronic search of PubMed, AMED, CINAHL, PsycIN...

Background: Pain beliefs might play a role in the development, transition, and perpetuation of shoulder pain. Objective: To systematically review and critically appraise the association and the predictive value of pain beliefs on pain intensity and/or disability in shoulder pain. Methods: An electronic search of PubMed, EBSCOhost, AMED, CINAHL...

Introduction Chronic shoulder pain is a very complex syndrome, and the mechanisms involved in its perpetuation remain unclear. Psychological factors appear to play a role in the perpetuation of symptoms in people with shoulder chronicity. The purpose of this systematic review is to examine the role of psychological factors in the perpetuation of sy...

Objectives Measuring thoracic spine mobility can be of interest as it has been associated with shoulder girdle function and scapular position in subjects with and without shoulder pain. At present, no reliability data of thoracic spine mobility measurements are available in the swimming population. This study aims to evaluate the within-session int...

Background: The therapeutic value of proprioceptive-based exercises in knee osteoarthritis (KOA) management warrants investigation of proprioceptive testing methods easily accessible in clinical practice. Objective: To estimate inter- and intrarater reliability of the knee joint position sense (KJPS) test and knee force sense (KFS) test in subje...

Chronicity and recurrence in musculoskeletal shoulder pain are highly prevalent and can possibly be attributed to the concept of central sensitization. Available studies suggest a role for central sensitization in explaining chronic shoulder pain, but so far a comprehensive quantitative sensory testing (QST) protocol has not been used. The aim of t...

Introduction: Although the importance of psychosocial factors has been highlighted in many studies in patients with chronic low back pain (CLBP), there is a lack of research examining the role of illness perceptions in explaining functional disability and physical activity in patients with CLBP. Aim: The aim of the study was to explore the value...

Hypothesis / aims of study Urinary incontinence (UI) is not a life threatening condition but it does have a negative impact on many aspects of a woman's quality of life such as social, physical, psychological and sexual aspects. Current evidence has shown that stress urinary incontinence (SUI) does not occur exclusively in the postnatal period or i...

http://www.wcpt.org/wcpt2017/FS-16

Background The aim of this study was twofold: (i) to assess the intrarater reliability of coracohumeral distance; (ii) to investigate the level of association between coracohumeral distance measured by ultrasonography, and pain-disability and shoulder range of movement, in patients suffering from chronic anterior shoulder pain. Methods An observati...

Introduction Shoulder pain is a highly prevalent condition. Psychological factors could play an essential role in the prognosis of chronic shoulder pain (CSP). The aims of the study will be to analyse the level of association between psychological factors and pain-disability at baseline and prospectively to assess their prognostic role; to evaluate...

Background/hypothesis: The relation between acromiohumeral distance (AHD) and severity of pain, disability and range of movement (ROM) in patients with chronic rotator cuff related shoulder pain (RCRSP) has not been reported. Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the level of association between AHD measured by ultrasonography and...

Shoulder pain is the most reported area of orthopaedic injury in swimmers. The so-called 'swimmers' shoulder' has been applied to a variety of complaints involving shoulder pain in swimmers without specific reference to contributing mechanisms or structures. Knowledge of dysfunctions associated with swimmers' shoulder can assist clinicians in devel...

Study design: Systematic review. Objectives: The aim of this systematic review was to summarize and evaluate intra- and interrater reliability research of physical examination tests used for the assessment of scapular dyskinesis. Background: Scapular dyskinesis, defined as alteration of normal scapular kinematics, is described as a non-specifi...

Objectives: To investigate inter-rater reliability of a set of shoulder measurements including inclinometry [shoulder range of motion (ROM)], acromion-table distance and pectoralis minor muscle length (static scapular positioning), upward rotation with two inclinometers (scapular kinematics) and pain pressure thresholds (muscle tenderness) in midd...

Objective To systematically review the literature on the clinical outcomes of scapular-focused treatments in participants with subacromial pain syndrome (SPS). Design Systematic literature review. Studies were appraised by two reviewers using the Physiotherapy Evidence Database (PEDro) scale, and a best-evidence synthesis was performed. Data source...

Background: Professional and pre-professional musicians are characterized by physical and psychological demands inherent to their musical activity, and therefore at risk for developing performance related musculoskeletal pain. Physical and psychological demands are known to influence human pain modulation. Objectives: In this study we compared t...

Background: Shoulder pain is the third most common musculoskeletal complaint and many patients have an unfavorable outcome with long-term disability. Only 50% of all new episodes of shoulder pain show complete recovery within 6 months. Little is known about factors that contribute to chronicity of shoulder pain, although such information is needed...

OBJECTIVE: A systematic review was performed to evaluate the existing evidence related to the prevalence, incidence, localization, and pathophysiology of myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) in patients with spinal (back and neck) pain. METHODS: A systematic review following Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines...

Patients with acute whiplash-associated disorder (WAD) demonstrate an inefficient endogenous pain inhibition and may experience a dysfunction in autonomic nervous system reactivity to pain. This study compared the autonomic response to painful stimuli between patients with acute and chronic WAD and healthy controls. In addition, the role of the aut...

To systematically review the literature for efficacy of isolated articular mobilization techniques in patients with primary adhesive capsulitis (AC) of the shoulder. PubMed and Web of Science were searched for relevant studies published before November 2014. Additional references were identified by manual screening of the reference lists. All Engli...

Shoulder pain is often a challenging clinical phenomenon because of the potential mismatch between pathology and the perception of pain. Current evidence clearly emphasizes an incomplete understanding of the nature of shoulder pain. Indeed, the effective diagnosis and treatment of shoulder pain should not only rely upon a detailed knowledge of the...

Background: Hospital workers with physically demanding jobs are at risk for developing recurrent LBP. There is a lack of studies evaluating multidisciplinary prevention of low back pain (LBP) in hospital workers.OBJECTIVE: This randomized controlled trial evaluates the effect of a multidisciplinary prevention program, focusing on a client-centred...

The current study had two objectives. (1) to compare objective and self-report measures in patients with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) according to the 1994 Center for Disease Control (CDC) criteria, patients with multiple sclerosis (MS), and healthy controls, and (2) to contrast CFS patients who only fulfill CDC criteria to those who also fulfill...

Background Current evidence shows that manual therapy elicits analgesic effect in different populations (healthy, pain inflicted and patients with musculoskeletal pain) when carried out at the spinal column, although the clinical significance of these effects remains unclear. Also the analgesic effects of manual therapy on peripheral joints have no...