Shoulder Pain: Current Surgical Trends and Criteria, and Exploration of Psychological and Other Factors Associated with Outcome After Surgery

Abstract

This thesis found increasing trends and costs for shoulder surgery in Western Australia over the past decade, and a lack of consensus amongst surgeons regarding surgical criteria. For individuals undergoing shoulder surgery, poor psychological function was associated with higher levels of pain and disability before and after surgery, and similarly associated with different patient-centred outcome measures. A biopsychosocial approach to the screening, examination and management of people with shoulder pain is recommended.