• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.253-259
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• 2009

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to find out useful radiological projection of shoulder subluxation in patients with post-stroke hemiplegia. Methods : A total of 33 patients with post-stroke hemiplegia were included(20 men and 13 women, mean age 62.3 years) and having the subluxed shoulder over one finger breath. The shoulder subluxation was determined as the ratio of the radiographic vertical and horizontal distance. The vertical distance was determined by measuring the distance between the most inferolateral point of the acromion and the central point of the humeral head. The horizontal distance was determined by measuring the distance between the central point of the glenoid fossa and the central point of the humeral head. To measure of the shoulder subluxation, the shoulder AP, axial and transthoracic lateral projections were taken on both affected and unaffected shoulders. We analyzed the difference of subluxation distance by t-test. Results : When patients was in sitting position, the average time of being shoulder subluxation was 123 second. There was significant difference between supine($49.90{\pm}13.6\;mm$) and sitting position($60.72{\pm}16.3\;mm$) in the vertical distance of shoulder anterior-posterior projection. Also, there was significant difference on transthoracic lateral projections, Affected $35.92{\pm}6.2\;mm$, Unaffected $28.76{\pm}5.4\;mm$. But in case of shoulder axial projection(supine position), there was no significant difference (Unaffected and affected was $23.01{\pm}9.0\;mm$, $22.45{\pm}8.2\;mm$ each). Conclusion : Radiological projection of shoulder subluxation has diagnostic value when it goes after check out the process of subluxation through finger breadth test. For this, patients must be in sitting and shoulder neutral position about 2 minutes. In addition, Shoulder anterior-posterior and transthoracic projection were significant to diagnose subluxation. But in axial projection, there wasn't meaningful differences.

• Journal of radiological science and technology
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.109-114
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• 2008

There is a standard shoulder oblique method (Grashey method) available to view the shoulder joint. This method projects AP view of the shoulder joint so that the Humerus head's subuxation or joint degeneration can be easily visualized. However, in this view, the patients, with supine or sitting or erect position, have to keep their body obliquely. Whereas, the patients who are not well or operated, usually feel very uncomfortable to keep their body in this position and hence, we need other persons' help and much efforts will be needed to get the good quality shoulder joint view. Therefore, we thought of examining a method which shows the joint well by angling the tube to Medio-Lateral direction and without keeping the patients' one side upward in supine position. For this study, total 15 subjects with no history of neurological or psychiatric illness, were recruited for examinations. They consisted of 9 males and 6 females. Statistic group analysis was performed with ANOVA test. Scores of the evaluation of the experts were $1.10{\pm}0.54$ at $25^{\circ}$, $2.50{\pm}0.50$ at 30^{\circ}$, $2.85{\pm}0.36$ at $35^{\circ}$ and $2.33{\pm}0.47$ at $40^{\circ}$, respectively, and they were significant(p<0.05, Table 1). Joint space of the Humerus head and Scapula were well distinguished at $35^{\circ}$, $30^{\circ}$ and $40^{\circ}$ with the almost same score. However, the degree of distortion at $40^{\circ}$ was more severe than that at $30^{\circ}$. Ultimately, $30-35^{\circ}$ views were shown to yield good quality shoulder oblique images. In conclusion, this method may be very useful for the patients who are uncomfortable and for the emergency patients. In order to get similar or comparable view, the same X-tube angle is recommended to be used before and after the operation. Therefore, we hope that this new angled method seems to be efficient.