What is it about?

This observational study describes clinical features in 16 patients with SIRVA following Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) vaccination who presented to chiropractic, orthopedic, and physiother- apy clinics in Hong Kong between January 1, 2021, and January 1, 2022. Adults age 318 with new-onset shoulder pain and imaging-confirmed shoulder pathology were retrospective- ly identified from 35 clinics. Patient demographics and clinical and vaccination details were extracted from the electronic medical record. Shoulder injury was determined by correlating clinical and imaging features.

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Why is it important?

Shoulder injury related to vaccine administration (SIRVA) occurs when an intramuscular deltoid injection is ad- ministered into the shoulder joint. In the past 2 years, millions of intramuscular COVID-19 vaccinations have been administered. It is important that clinicians are aware of SIRVA as a cause of new symptoms of shoulder injury and should ask the patient about recent vaccinations, including for COVID-19.

Perspectives

Of 730 patients with shoulder pain, 16 SIRVA cases (mean age, 49±10 years, 75% female) were identified; (12/16, 75%) of patients received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine while (4/16, 25%) received Sinovac-CoronaVac. The most common diagnosis was adhesive capsulitis (10/16, 63%), followed by bursitis (3/16, 19%) and su- praspinatus tear (3/16, 19%). Mean symptom onset was 3.5±2.5 days post-vaccination, and always occurred after the 2nd or 3rd vaccination, involving reduced shoulder range of motion (ROM). Mean baseline pain was 8.1±1 (out of 10). All patients received conservative care (eg, exercise, manual therapies). At 3-month follow- up, mean pain reduced to 2.4±1.4; all patients had normal shoulder ROM.

Dr Eric Chun-Pu Chu
New York Medical Group

Read the Original

This page is a summary of: Shoulder Injury Related to Vaccine Administration (SIRVA) in 16 Patients Following COVID-19 Vaccination Who Presented to Chiropractic, Orthopedic, and Physiotherapy Clinics in Hong Kong During 2021, Medical Science Monitor, June 2022, International Scientific Literature,
DOI: 10.12659/msm.937430.
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