Correlation Between Hemoglobin A1c Levels and Incidence of Adhesive Capsulitis

Abstract Background: Adhesive capsulitis, or arthrofibrosis, describes a pathological process in which the body forms excessive scar tissue or adhesions across the glenohumeral joint, leading to stiffness, pain, and dysfunction. Diabetes is a known risk factor for adhesive capsulitis. There has been an increase in the incidence of diabetes mellitus (DM) in the younger population. The correlation of DM with adhesive capsulitis and its prompt diagnosis can help in initiating an adequate treatment plan, reducing the progression of the disease. Hence, this study was conducted to assess the correlation between hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) levels and the incidence of adhesive capsulitis. Materials and Methods: A total of 500 patients were screened for this study. Only those patients were included in this study from whom HbA1c values were collected because of any reason. Complete demographic and clinical details of all the patients were obtained. Blood samples were obtained from all the patients. All the samples were sent to the laboratory, where HbA1c levels were assessed using an auto-analyzer. A clinical examination of all the patients was done. Adhesive capsulitis was diagnosed clinically on the basis of history and examination in the absence of significant abnormalities on the shoulder X-ray. Incidence of adhesive capsulitis was assessed. All the results were recorded in a Microsoft Excel sheet and were subjected to statistical analysis using SPSS software. Results: Among the 500 subjects enrolled, adhesive capsulitis was seen in 16% of the patients. The mean age of the patients was 48.3 years. Among these patients, 68.57% were males while the remaining were females. Unilateral adhesive capsulitis was seen in 88.57% of the patients. Mean HbA1c levels among patients with and without adhesive capsulitis were 9.1% and 6.5%, respectively. Significant results were obtained while correlating HbA1c with the occurrence of adhesive capsulitis. Conclusion: Adhesive capsulitis continues to pose a significant clinical challenge. Current treatment protocols lack universal efficacy, highlighting the urgent necessity for additional research and the formulation of more effective therapeutic approaches. A direct correlation of enhanced HbA1c values was seen with the occurrence of adhesive capsulitis.