Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 2025 Jul 20:57:jrm43179.
doi: 10.2340/jrm.v57.43179.

Mapping of ultrasonography methods and shoulder soft-tissue injury locations in patients with stroke: a scoping review

Affiliations

Mapping of ultrasonography methods and shoulder soft-tissue injury locations in patients with stroke: a scoping review

Masayuki Dogan et al. J Rehabil Med. .

Abstract

Objective: To map studies that use ultrasonography to assess shoulder soft-tissue injuries in stroke survivors and identify the methods and soft-tissue injury locations.

Design: Scoping review.

Methods: A literature search was performed through PubMed and ICHUSI from 1966 to May 2023 using the terms "stroke", "shoulder soft-tissue injury", and "ultrasonography". Original articles that used ultrasonography to evaluate shoulder soft-tissue injuries in patients with stroke were selected. Extracted data included study design, phase, sample size, ultrasonographic methods (probe, evaluation position, frequency, and assessment site), and soft-tissue injury location.

Results: Among 249 articles identified, 10 met the inclusion and exclusion criteria. In ultrasonographic methods, over half the studies used linear transducer probes, evaluated participants in a sitting position, and applied frequencies of 5-7 MHz. Common assessment sites were the supraspinatus tendon, long head of the biceps tendon, subscapularis tendon, infraspinatus tendon, and subacromial-subdeltoid bursa. The most common locations of shoulder soft-tissue injuries were the long head of the biceps tendon (effusion/tendinitis) and the supraspinatus tendon (tear/tendinitis).

Conclusion: This study identified ultrasonographic methods and hemiplegic shoulder soft-tissue injury locations. These findings may help facilitate evaluations and enable proper assessment of shoulder soft-tissue injuries in patients with stroke using ultrasonography in clinical practice.

PubMed Disclaimer

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1. Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) extension for Scoping Reviews flow diagram.

References

    1. O’Flaherty D, Ali K. Recommendations for upper limb motor recovery: an overview of the UK and European rehabilitation after stroke guidelines (2023). Healthcare 2024; 12: 1433. 10.3390/healthcare12141433 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Kimberley TJ, Plow EB. Rehabilitation drives post-stroke motor recovery. Lancet Neurol 2025; 24: 373–375. 10.1016/S1474-4422(25)00100-0 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Lang CE, Beebe JA. Relating movement control at 9 upper extremity segments to loss of hand function in people with chronic hemiparesis. Neurorehabil Neural Repair 2007; 21: 279–291. 10.1177/1545968306296964 - DOI - PubMed
    1. Wissel J, Schelosky LD, Scott J, Christe W, Faiss JH, Mueller J. Early development of spasticity following stroke: a prospective, observational trial. J Neurol 2010; 257: 1067–1072. 10.1007/s00415-010-5463-1 - DOI - PMC - PubMed
    1. Tsur A, Ring H. Axillary nerve conduction changes in hemiplegia. J Brachial Plex Peripher Nerve Inj 2008; 3: 26. 10.1186/1749-7221-3-26 - DOI - PMC - PubMed

Publication types

MeSH terms

LinkOut - more resources