AIM: Sports therapy combined with physical therapy and manual massage is a conventional method for the treatment of shoulder joint dysfunction after fracture. We aimed to investigate the interventional effect of shoulder joint mobilization plus the above method on the dysfunction of shoulder joint. METHODS: Ninety patients with dysfunction of shoulder joint hospitalized in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University between January 2003 and December 2004 were randomly divided into mobilization group (n = 45) and control group (n = 45). Patients in the control group received physical therapy firstly, then sports therapy about 1 hour per day, and finally manual massage. Ten days were as a course for a total of 3 courses uninterruptedly. Patients in the mobilization group received the therapy as in the control group added with shoulder joint mobilization 1.5 to 2.0 hours per day. Mobilization of glenohumeral joints included: (1) separating distraction, (2) long axis distraction, (3) slipping to head, (4) slipping to feet during anteflexion, (5) slipping to feet during abduction, (6) slipping forwards to backwards, (7) slipping backwards to forwards, (8) swing during abduction, (9) lateral slipping, (10) swing horizontally when adduction, (11) turning backwards to forwards, (12) swing during internal rotation, (13) swing during external rotation; mobilization of sternoclavicular joint included: (1) slipping forwards and backwards, (2) slipping up and down; mobilization of acromioclavicular joint was slipping backwards to forwards. The range of motion (ROM) values of anteflexion, post-extension, adduction and abduction in patients were assessed before treatment and 3 courses after treatment. RESULTS: All the 90 patients were analyzed in the result. (1) The angles of ROM of anteflexion, post-extension, adduction and abduction after 3 courses of treatment were 113 +/- 18 degrees, 39 +/- 7 degrees, 36 +/- 6 degrees, 118 +/- 15 degrees respectively in the mobilization group, significantly improved as compared with the control group (87 +/- 11 degrees, 30 +/- 6 degrees, 25 +/- 7 degrees, 79 +/- 16 degrees) (t = 3.01 to 5.17, p < 0.01). (2) The angles of ROM of anteflexion, post-extension, adduction and abduction in either group were ameliorated after mobilization as compared with before mobilization (t = 3.75 to 7.96, p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Shoulder joint mobilization can obviously improve the motor function of shoulder joint, which may be involved in its function of dragging peripheral soft tissues of joints directly, separating adhesion in a short time and keeping the soft tissues elastic and extensible, and thus can improve the ROM of joints.

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